Fate:Stay Away
by The Infamous Man
Summary: Ten years after the chaotic events of the Fourth Holy Grail War, the Fifth begins. This time eight Masters come together to fight for the Holy Grail. However, due to the meddling of a bored evil spirit, seven Masters... didn't quite get the Servants they were expecting. Sequel to Fate:Zero Sense!
1. The Summoning Of Heroes? Reprise

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Angra Mainyu, Persian God of Darkness, source of all evil in this world, former Avenger class of the Third Holy Grail War, and now the corrupted conscience of the Holy Grail tried the best it could to sigh in boredom (Or the closest thing to it, since being a spirit in the Holy Grail did not give it any type of vocal cords). The reason why it was bored again was simple. There was nothing to do within the Grail. The closest thing it got to entertainment recently (By its point of view) were the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War. The very memory of that day made the dark spirit 'smile' with glee. Six Servants, each more powerful and unique than what had been originally planned, fought to the death and caused chaos within Fuyuki City. Messing with Saber brought Angra Mainyu a _huge_ amount of happiness, so that was another bonus of the previous war. Sure, two Servants had gotten new bodies due to its little 'spill' but hey. It was a small price to pay in order to get back at Emiya Kiritsugu.

You do not fuck with a God of Darkness and think you can get away with it.

Unfortunately, all that seemed to do was make Kiritsugu even more determined to make sure there was no other Grail War after the fourth. He used explosives to create a 'bump' in one of the leylines, which would ensure an earthquake in thirty to forty years. Thus, Angra Mainyu decided to 'speed up' the next war. Which brought Angra Mainyu to now. It was planning to make the Fifth Holy Grail War truly special. One that was even more exciting than the last war. Originally, it had originally planned to allow the fifth war to go its course since it had its fun with the fourth. But if it was going to be the final war and the only chance Angra Mainyu got to return to the real world, then by _God_he was going to have the show of his life before the end result came in.

Angra Mainyu 'grinned' within the Holy Grail as it chose the combatants of the Holy Grail War. Each Servant was more powerful than the ones last chosen in their own ways. It had also decided to add another Master into the fray just to shake things up once more. Plus, it allowed its former class to be in the war once more. (Perhaps Angra Mainyu still had pride as the Servant Avenger. Go figure…) And to shake things up even more, Angra Mainyu decided to bring in a veteran of the Fourth War.

Lets see how the son of that asshole Kiritsugu and Saber react to _these_ Servants!

**_Elsewhere:_**

Waver Velvet, now given the title of El-Melloi the Second, looked at his right hand with an utter serious expression on his face while sitting down in the kitchen. This morning after waking up, he had found that his former Command Seals for Rider had changed. The blood-red markings had turned into the image of Team Dai-Gurren's symbol. The flaming skull and sunglasses forming two Command Seals while two flame marks were on both of its sides, thus making the third Command Seal.

Waver could tell what it meant. Magical tattoos do not just change shape overnight. He had been chosen to participate in the next Holy Grail War, which was apparently coming fifty years early.

_"I heard theories that it would take place earlier due to the destruction of the previous Grail, but I never would have thought it would take place this early. Nor that I would be chosen for it again…"_ Waver thought to himself as he gazed at the Command Seals. It had been ten years since the event that had changed his life forever. The lessons taught by Rider to him had never faded away, nor did the memory of their friendship throughout the war. He had used Team Dai-Gurren as a symbol of equality within the Association, and had instilled those dreams to numerous others. Every day, Team Dai-Gurren became bigger and bigger as did their sway over Clock Tower. Some members have even been talking about overthrowing it and instilling him as the new head. However, Waver knew that they needed even more power than they already had in order to truly take control. Especially with the rumors floating around of the director's unimaginable strength plus his two thousand years of experience…

Waver then heard a loud burp erupt through the kitchen, making him sigh before turning to see 'Bender' with a bottle of the Archibald's finest wine in hand. The faulty Mystic Code kept giving him, his young wife, and the numerous servants around the estate trouble for years. Especially with his constant consumption of alcohol, which was a small fortune on its own. "Listen meat bag, it doesn't matter how many times you hide the cigars I _will_ find them." Bender informed Waver before taking out a cigar (The Cuban ones Waver had been saving for holiday).

"Perhaps I'll quite just to spite you." Waver shot back before staring at his new Command Seals once more.

"Oh bite my shiny metal ass." Bender told him before walking behind Waver and looking over his shoulder. "Hey, when did you get those?"

"Last night." Waver muttered before glancing at Bender. "I'm now a participant in the Fifth Holy Grail War, apparently."

Bender then gasped before Waver heard several blunt objects hit the floor. "Oh you've got to be kidding me! I've got to deal with that crap again? Nu'uh! No way in He-!" Waver then took a magnet from his pocket and placed it on Bender's head. "Jimmy crack corn and I don't care! Jimmy crack corn and you don't care!" Bender sang as he began to dance around. "I'll freaking kill you meat ba-!" Bender shouted in rage before Waver took out a vial. Bender then reverted back to his original liquid mercury form and shrunk before flowing back into the vial.

_"Finally, some peace and quiet…"_ Waver thought to himself while sighing in relief. It was a good thing that he remembered that episode of Futurama, otherwise he would have_never_ found a way to make Bender shut up. Waver then got up and poured himself a cup of coffee before putting in the usual amount of sugar and milk. He was completely self-reliant despite the personal maids Cristina assigned to him.

"Good morning my husband…" A voice sung out, making Waver turn to see Cristina Archibald. She had grown since five years ago, and was now nineteen. She reached about Waver's chin now, and her bust size had increased to a low C-cup (Waver only knew about this because she kept bragging about it.) She wore black pants and high-heels along with a blue shirt. Her blonde hair was still long and reached to her waist. Her blue eyes were still full of hero-worship to Waver despite being married to him along with mischief. "How was your night with Sasha?"

Her personality however, had not changed a bit.

"It was… nice." Waver lied as he slowly took a sip of his coffee. Sasha was one of the two personal maids Cristina assigned to him. Apparently, they were mistresses that she approved of to help 'sate her husband's manliness'. Luckily, she and her fellow maid Clair were just as uncomfortable of the situation as he was. So when Cristina let him go 'satisfy himself' while she slept, he just stayed in their rooms on a chair reading a book before falling asleep. Its not like he _hadn't_ dreamt of sleeping with them, after all they were both beautiful in their own way, its just that he was more of the 'one is enough' crowd. And with Cristina, one was _definitely_ enough. During the night she became legal, she had done things to him that would haunt him for the rest of his days.

Harems may work in anime or manga, but in real life one forming for you with a wife like Cristina heading them was scary as Hell.

"Husband, what happened to your Command Seals?" Cristina asked, making Waver grimace. He should have hid them better…

_"Oh well, she would have found out sooner or later…"_ Waver thought to himself before replying with, "Apparently, I have been chosen to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War."

Cristina let out a short gasp while covering her mouth with her hands. He had told her stories of the Fourth War, and he made sure to not leave out any details. "…w-we have to tell the Association im-!"

"No, we will not." Waver said while setting down his mug. "The reason why I got to live so long during the Fourth War was both because of Rider and that I never registered myself as a Master. Thus, I was relatively hidden from the other Masters. Even when I was revealed as a Master, they had no idea where I was staying at since my family did not own any property in Fuyuki."

"I see." Cristina muttered as her face became utterly serious. "So, we must keep ourselves hidden from the other Masters during the beginning of the war. That way, they will not be prepared to face us."

"We?" Waver questioned curiously to Cristina, who closed her eyes and smiled at him.

"I'm going with you husband. You cannot go out there into a battle like the Holy Grail War and expect me to be content with staying here. Your battles are mine too." Cristina informed him, making Waver give a small smile. Despite her personality, she truly did love and care for him. "Plus this would be a perfect opportunity to get you a Japanese mistress!" Cristina allowed a small bead of drool escape her lips as her face reddened. "You always talk so much as to how you love the Japanese culture, and what could make you happier than giving you another mistress from Japan itself! Oh my, husband will be so _manly_ with his new mistress! Perhaps I shall join as well!"

…And with that, Waver felt like reverting back to his nineteen year old self and begin crying.

Did Rider ever have to deal with such crazy girls in his life?

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Church):_**

"Let's have a party~!" A man who looked a _lot_ like the star Ryan Reynolds sung while dancing around the house of God dressed in only his heart-shaped boxers. "Don't you be tardy~!"

"Ah, its so good to be back." A now older Kotomine Kirei said out loud while chugging a can of beer, burping, and crushing the can with his forehead before throwing it over his shoulder. "But one would think that TIM would be too busy to even begin writing this sequel. After all, he has that new story 'Sins Of Zero' and real life to deal with."

"Ah, guy likes the attention is all." Wade Wilson, formerly known as Deadpool and Assassin from the Fourth Holy Grail War, informed Kirei while sitting down on a bench and taking out a 'Marvel Swimsuit Edition' magazine. "I mean, doesn't _every_ writer on this site do it for both fun and attention?"

"Do not forget reviews. Considering how many he got for his old Naruto crossovers that he used to be popular for, this story makes him realize how cliché his old favorite genre was." Kirei told Wade, who nodded in acceptance before flipping a page.

"Still can't believe he is making this fic a whole new Route with hints of Un-!" Wade began before getting a Black Key embedded into his forehead.

"We can't have spoilers remember?" Kirei asked before Wade pulled out the Black Key, the wound healing completely afterwards and looking like it never happened (At least when you ignored the blood.

"Right! So then…" Wade began before looking at the 'viewers'. "Lets have the readers find out what Servants TIM is using for this fic!"

"Yes, and in the meantime…" Kirei then pulled out a plasma screen TV and turned it on before sitting besides Wade. "It's Bea Arthur time!"

**_Early Morning (Fuyuki Forest):_**

"Five times…" Waver muttered as he drew the summoning array onto the ground using chicken blood (Nostalgia purposes of coarse.) while Cristina looked on from behind him. They had arrived in Fuyuki via private airplane only a few hours ago, and he decided that they would summon their Servant right away. It was still dark, which meant that practically everyone was still asleep and the sun hadn't even begun to rise. So nobody would notice the bright flash of light that came with the summoning. It hadn't been hard to 'borrow' the chickens, but what _had_ delayed them was making sure the chickens stayed in their cage long enough for Waver to chop their heads off. (Something that disgusted him and Cristina both) "Alright…" Waver muttered as he threw the small corpse away and looked at his work. "That should be it." He then turned to Cristina before saying, "Please, give it to me."

Cristina nodded before handing Waver the extra and necessary thing for the summoning: Rider's Nodachi. His friend's former weapon, given to him while dying, would be the Summoning Catalyst Waver used for the ceremony. It would bring his friend back from the Throne of Heroes so that they could fight side by side again. Just like that time ten years ago…

_"But there is no guarantee that Rider will still have his memories from that time…" _Waver thought to himself with a grim smile on his face before softly taking the Nodachi from her hands and unsheathing the blade. _"But, it will be worth it…"_ Waver then tiptoed to the center of the array before stabbing the sword into the ground. He then quickly got out before facing the array and taking a deep breath. This was it. There was no turning back after this.

Waver raised his right hand towards the array and began reciting the words that had forever changed his life ten years ago.

**_Elsewhere (Tohsaka Manor):_**

_"Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg."_ A grown Tohsaka Rin muttered to herself as she read from the spell book in her right hand while holding her left towards the array in front of her. The sunglasses of her father's former Servant rested on her face, and the red light that was emitting from the array reflected on them. It had been ten years since her father and his Servant died attempting to get the Holy Grail, and now thanks to the early warning of her guardian Kirei (Stupid Otaku priest…) she would participate just like him. Her mother had expressed worry over her participating, but she shook off those concerns. As the head of the Tohsaka family, she was obliged to participate. Even if she did not want the Grail for anything. "_The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate." _The Catalyst she had chosen was her father's necklace, and although she did not know what it would summon it was guaranteed to be powerful. After all, her father gave it to her. She could have just used Archer's sunglasses again, but he had failed her father during the Fourth War despite his skill. Thus, she _had_ to make sure she summoned the Servant Saber for the war. "_Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Repeat every five times. Simply, shatter once filled. I announce. Your self is under me; my fate is in your sword. In accordance with the resort of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer. Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead."_ Rin felt wind that was not truly there begin to fill the room. This was it, no turning back now. _"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence…"_ Rin looked at the array fully before shouting, _"O keeper of the balance!"_

Smoke then erupted into the room, and a wave of energy hit Rin before knocking her on her ass and making several pieces of furniture fall. The sound echoed throughout the entire household, no doubt alerting her mother. "Rin!" Aoi shouted before rushing into the room and helping her daughter up.

"I-I'm fine mother…" Rin muttered as she got onto her feet. Slowly, the smoke began to fade away. Revealing the Servant she had summoned. It was a man in his early twenties with spikey brown hair and yellow cat-like eyes. His attire was… strange to say the least. He wore a dark blue jacket that had two large brown buttons on both sides with a white low-collar shirt underneath. He also wore a red necklace with a small bell on it, dark blue pants and brown shoes. However the thing that struck Rin the most was the strange tattoo on the bottom left of his neck. It was the roman numeral 'XIII', or simply thirteen.

"Hey, how's it going?" The man asked while closing his eyes, giving a goofy smile, and waving at Rin and Aoi. "I'm the Servant Archer. Which one of you is my Master?"

_"Archer?"_ Rin asked herself before looking at the gun holster on his right thigh, which held a strange revolver in it. Rin let her head droop a bit before muttering, "Of coarse I had to screw up today of all days…"

"Rin?" Aoi asked curiously before a loud grumbling noise echoed throughout the room. Mother and daughter looked at Archer, who had a pitiful expression on his face and his right hand over his stomach.

"I'm so hungry…" Archer whined out, making Rin smack herself in the face with her left hand, which now had three red Command Seals on them.

Unknown to Rin, she was not the only Master who didn't… _quite_ get what they were expecting.

**_Elsewhere (Edelfelt Manor):_**

Luviagelita Edelfelt smiled with glee as smoke billowed from the array and covered the wine cellar in which she performed the ceremony. She had arrived in Fuyuki City a year before after her family had been invited by the church overseer (Kotomine something or other….) to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War, which would happen early due to the catastrophic events of the Fourth War. She had researched about the war as soon as her family sent her off to Japan. A battle between seven Masters and seven legendary heroes was truly something grand to participate in. Not to mention that she got a chance to one-up the head of the Tohsaka family, her family's rival for decades. They shared the same style of magic and while hers was the oldest, the Tohsakas had helped to create the Holy Grail.

You can't beat an achievement like that.

Afterwards, the grudge between the two families started. The Edelfelts had attempted to participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War, but the mass-murdering Master of Caster had summoned the Servant and thus stole their slot in the war. But she was making sure to summon her Servant early, just so that there would be no possible way for her chance to fight in the war can be taken away from her. She even made her not so discrete announcement to Rin, her fellow 'classmate' and the head of the Tohsaka family, that she would most definitely be a Master and fight her the first chance she got.

Luvia blinked as the smoke cleared to reveal a girl around fourteen or fifteen years old with fair white skin, shoulder-length dull _blue_ hair, and ruby red eyes looking at her intently. Her attire was…_ strange_ to say the least. She was in a form-fitting white suit with light armor and black highlights on her arms that left little to the imagination. The number _'00'_ was emblazoned on the part that covered her collarbone. In her right hand was a blood-red spear of considerable length that was even taller than her. Its helical shaft twisted into two separate points.

"I am the Servant Lancer." 'Lancer' informed her in a soft, quiet voice. "Are you my Master?"

Luvia quickly looked at her left hand and saw blood-red markings, depicting a circle split into two by the very same spear Lancer was wielding. Those were the Command Seals, making Luvia's place in the Holy Grail War now official. "Indeed I am." Luvia said with all the confidence she could muster towards the Servant while keeping a superior look on her face. After all, she had to assert her stance as a Master to the new Servant. "I am Luviagelita of the Edelfelt family."

Lancer slowly nodded before saying, "The contract between us is now complete." She then looked at Luvia directly in the eyes before saying without a hint of emotion, "What Servant will be our first target, Master?"

"Hm, you sure are eager…" Luvia muttered to herself before turning around and beginning to leave the room. "We shall handle the tactics for the war at a later time. I need to sleep for school."

"Very well Master." Lancer responded before slightly bowing and dissipating from view. As Luvia walked up the stares towards the kitchen of the manor, she began to ponder the identity of her new Servant. She had chosen by her own will to not use a catalyst, and thus get the Servant that would be most compatible with her. While she might not get the _strongest_ Servant in the war, she would most likely get the one who would be most willing to follow her orders and thus make her not waste any Command Seals.

_"But I have never heard of a Japanese legend about an albino girl wielding a spear such as the one she held…" _Luvia thought to herself while placing her hand to her chin in thought. _"Perhaps her legend is a minor one? Well, no matter. I'll research tomorrow. For now, I must rest…"_ She then entered her room and plopped herself on her utterly_massive_ bed before closing her eyes. Soon, she fell into a deep sleep and a small smile grew on her face.

"Shirou… no… that's not proper…" Luvia muttered as she tossed and turned on her bed. Lord knew what she was dreaming about…

**_Elsewhere (Matou Manor):_**

Matou Sakura shielded her eyes from the smoke engulfing the room. Behind her, her 'older brother' Matou Shinji looked on with judging eyes towards the array. Shinji had forced her to participate in the Holy Grail and win the device for him, not wishing to participate and thus put 'the Marou family in danger'. And since she was the only one left in the family with Magic Circuits, she was the _only_ chance the Matous had in winning the Grail now that her 'grandfather' Zouken was gone. Sakura looked down slightly as she remembered the day she returned from visiting Kariya-Ojisan's grave to find her 'grandfather' gone and all the worms killed. Thus, she did not have to go to the worm room anymore due to there not being any worms.

It was quite possible the happiest day of her life. It was like Kariya-Ojisan had rescued her from that horrible _torture_ from beyond the grave.

Since then, she had been trained by Byakuya, Shinji's father, in Magic _without_ having to use the worms. However, she could only use a few water spells and nothing more. Apparently, she lacked the five elements and could only use 'Imaginary Numbers'. Byakuya died several years ago, leaving Shinji as the new head of the Matou family. He was distant to her and often remarked about her failure as a Matou. It hurt her, but she endured. After all, she had found the happiness Kariya-Ojisan told her that she would find.

Her Sempai, Emiya Shirou.

She loved the clueless young man with all her heart ever since she first saw him and heard his dream was to become a hero of justice. He was the only reason she would participate in the Holy Grail War. She would protect him and the others who she considered her _true_ family from this War. And maybe, just maybe, she could start a family with him…

"YAHOOO!" A shout echoed through the room, making her gasp in surprise. In the center of the array was _not_ anything that could even _close_ to the gorgon, Medusa. It was a teenager with spikey _blue_ hair that almost resembled a star. He was well muscled (from what Sakura could see with his well-toned arms) and had green eyes along with a wide self-confident grin plastered on his face. On his right shoulder was a star-shaped tattoo. He wore a sleeveless black shirt with a funnel-like collar, with white trousers that are black from the knee down and just a little short of being full-length jeans. On the front of his collar, two short strips of grey material adorned with rivets stretch down fro, the top of the collar to the breast of his shirt. He also wore similar strips around his neck, forming a scarf. He also wore grey fingerless gloves and black boots with white tips that had a star shape on the toe of each. "You have just summoned the greatest Assassin on the Throne of Heroes, Black*Star!" 'Assassin yelled while pointing at Sakura, who stared at him with shock. "You will never find a greater Servant than me! I'm a bigger star than every hero that the world can pump out!"

"…Only you would summon and Assassin who does not know how to stay quiet." Shinji muttered to himself before turning and leaving the room. "Do not die too soon in the Grail War. If you loose, attempt to be at _least_ the fourth. If you do that, then you can give the Matou Family _some_ pride in taking you in." Shinji then left the room, leaving the two alone.

"Hm, guess he couldn't stand being near my greatness." Assassin boasted before looking at Sakura with a grin still plastered on his face. "Anyway, get some rest. I can tell its late, and you need all your strength before I introduce myself to the stage!"

"O-Okay…" Sakura muttered before beginning to walk out of the room with Assassin following behind her and making sure that each footstep could be heard.

Just how could this Servant be even _considered_ an Assassin?

**_Elsewhere (Einzbern Manor):_**

Illyasviel blinked as she observed the Servant she had summoned in front of her before pouting and pointing at it, shouting, "What are you doing here? You're _not_ Hercules!"

"I'm sorry if I'm not the Servant you were expecting." The Servant in front apologized while looking at her. He was a teenager dressed in a completely white one-piece suit from head to toe, a blood red and stylized 'C' on his chest, two gun-like devices on his waist, and most of his head covered in a mask. On the forehead was a golden v-shaped headpiece, but it did nothing to cover up the teenager's handsome face and deep blue eyes. "But I know for a fact that I _am_ the Servant Berserker and not this 'Hercules'."

"AH!" Illyasviel screamed while pulling her hair, confusing 'Berserker' a great deal. "But Hercules was going to be the strongest Berserker ever! Grandfather said so when he gave me the catalyst for him!"

"I cannot answer as to why I was pulled her, but I am here now." Berserker then gazed at the ceiling for a moment before asking, "What do you intend to do now?"

Illyasviel sighed before placing her head in her hands. Hercules as Berserker was supposed to be the _ultimate_ Servant, due to the twelve lives he would get from his Noble Phantasm and the monstrous strength he already had in life. Now that she got _this_ strange Servant who _claimed_ to be Berserker yet did not even show a _hint_ of madness, her original plans were ruined! "Nothing." She muttered out before looking at Berserker. "We will go out and play with the other Servants tomorrow. I need to revise my plans now that I got _you_ instead of Hercules!"

"…Alright." Berserker said with pity in his eyes before walking out of the room rather than dissipating. Illyasviel now glared at the array with utter fury written all over her face. She had heard about how the Masters of the last war summoned strange Servants rather than the ones originally intended, but she never expected it to happen again, and not to her of all people!

_"You'll just have to wait a bit longer for me 'Onii-chan'."_ Illyasviel thought to herself before walking out of the room. _"But do not worry. I'll be seeing you VERY soon…"_

**_Elsewhere (Ryuudoji Temple):_**

Kuzuki Souichirou blinked curiously at the strange array that had appeared in front of him and billowed smoke everywhere in the courtyard of the temple. He had awoken early due to his training regime as an assassin, and was simply making his usual rounds around the temple. He was not a man of faith, and simply treated his religion as a daily occurrence. After all, he found no meaning in it. Nor did he find meaning as a teacher despite teaching children about the world around them. Even he could recognize himself as an empty man. He found no joy in life, and only continued to exist for some reason or another.

But today was different. While doing his usual routine, a small thought passed through his mind. A wish he once thought that he had abandoned. It was a simple wish.

He wished that he could find meaning and joy in life.

As soon as that thought came, a blood-red circle formed in front of him and began to glow before billowing smoke. When the smoke cleared, it revealed a young woman with a slim figure, waist-length red hair and brown eyes wearing black boots, a blue skirt, and armor of a single metal that consisted of a strange cross with a red symbol of a winged creature underneath and steel gauntlets on her hands. She was also holding a western-style sword with a blue handle and a wing-like guard.

"I am the Servant Caster of the Holy Grail War." The woman, 'Caster', informed Souichirou while gazing at him. "I ask of you, are you my Master?"

Souichirou then looked at his left hand, which now had the blood-red markings of the winged creature on Caster's armor and two swords beside it.

Apparently, his wish for purpose might have just come true…

**_Elsewhere (Shed):_**

Bazett Fraga McRemitz coughed as smoke clouded her vision and got into her lungs. She had done it, she had finally summoned her Servant and if her blood was truly passed down from _his,_ then she just summoned Cu Chulainn. She had been enamored with his legend since childhood, and had always wanted to save him from the tragic ending of his legend. Thus, when her 'friend' (More like creepy stalker since he always kept staring at her bust and asking if she wanted to come see his _real_ 'Black Key') invited her to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War, she was ecstatic. Finally, having to deal with that ass Kirei paid off! When she won the war, she would use the Grail to save Cu Chulainn from his fate. Perhaps even making his legend a bit longer…

Her face fell, however, when she looked at the Servant in front of her. It was definitely _not_ the legendary Dog of Ulster, for Cu Chulainn was never recorded to have white hair, heavily tanned skin, and a scar running from the left side of his forehead past his left eye and ended in the middle of his left cheek, eternally closing said eye. The Servant wore a red coat, which had numerous holes in the bottom part that distinctly looked like _bullet_ holes. Underneath the coat, the Servant wore black leather-like armor that had numerous scratches on it, black pants, and black steel-toed shoes that also had scratched steel covering his ankles.

The Servant looked at Bazett for a moment before smirking and saying, "I'm the Servant Avenger. You're my Master, right?"

"H-How?" Bazett asked while pointing at 'Avenger' with a shaky hand. "C-Cu Chilainn should have been summoned! Not you!"

"I guess you were told that you were his descendent?" Avenger asked before letting out a small chuckle. "You really shouldn't take your families boasts seriously. After all, they could have just _claimed_ that he was part of the family just to make themselves seem bigger."

Bazette opened her mouth to protest the accusation before closing it. He was right. She _had_ taken her family's claims by face value without truly confirming it. And because of her mistake, she now had a Servant who was not her childhood hero, but had a class that had only appeared during the Third War briefly before being killed off by the Servant Saber. "…I'm going to bed. I need some time to… soak this all up." Bazette muttered to herself before shambling off with her head drooped in despair.

"It's your own fault for being too trusting. Such a trait can show your weakness as a Magus." Avenger told Bazette before dissipating. Bazette then screamed in both frustration and rage before storming off.

Being summoned by Bazette may have changed his original plan, but it would not stop EMIYA from completing his goal.

**_Back With Waver:_**

Waver gazed at the Servant in front of him with confusion. It was definitely _not_ Rider he summoned. It was a young man in his early twenties with spikey dark blue hair (Even darker than Rider's.), black eyes, and red goggles with yellow lenses on his head. He was wearing grey, low-rise jeans, a black neck brace, a matching black haramaki, and a long, navy blue trench coat with red flames on the bottom, gold studs and, from what Waver could tell with the wind making the Servant's coat billow, the Team Dai-Gurren logo on the back.

_"Wait, I recognize him…"_ Waver thought as he narrowed his eyes, slowly recalling the person he saw in Rider's Reality Marble. His eyes then widened in realization as he thought, _"I-It's Rider's brother, Simon!"_

"Wow, I guess it has been a while huh?" The Servant asked with a grin as he looked at Waver. "Haven't seen you since that battle with Berserker."

"Husband?" Cristina asked curiously as she looked at the Servant. "Is this the Rider you spoke so much about?"

"Nah, you're talking about bro. I'm Simon, the Rider of _this_ Holy Grail War." 'Rider informed them before looking at the Nodachi next to him. "I guess you were trying to summon bro again…"

"Yeah, I was…" Waver told Rider with a bitter smile on his face. He had not summoned his friend like he wished, but had instead summoned the one person his Servant trusted in life.

"Don't worry." Rider told Waver with a small smile forming on his lips before picking up the Nodachi in the ground and walking to Waver before placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll win this war, and make bro proud."

"Heh, I guess your right… Rider." Waver told his Servant before showing him his Command Seals. "Members of Team Dai-Gurren have to stick together till the end, right?"

"Of coarse!" Rider laughed out before walking towards Cristina to introduce himself. Waver felt hope beat within his heart as Rider shook Cristina's hand.

He would win this war for _real_ this time, and make… Kamina proud.

**_The Infamous Man Presents…_**

**_Fate/Stay Away_**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"Yo boys and girls!" Taiga yelled while 'stabbing' her Boken onto the floor. "The Taiga Dojo has finally returned! I shall be your instructor, the Tiger of Fuyuki City: Fujimura Taiga! Rawr!"

"And also returning is Student Number One: Illyasviel Von Einzbern!" Illyasviel said happily while standing beside Taiga and smiling at the readers.

"To think that this fic would come out so soon!" Taiga said happily before striking an attempted sexy pose at the camera. "I guess the readers could not get enough of me!"

"More like TIM had finally decided to get the first chapter off his chest and appease the audience Sensei." Illyasviel told Taiga before smiling whistfully. "Soon, I will see Onii-chan again…"

"Now my student, tell the readers the title for the next chapter!" Taiga commanded, making Illyasviel stand straight up.

"Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'The War Is A' Changing'!" Illyasviel announced before Taiga pointed her Boken at the 'screen'.

"Check it out!" Taiga yelled out with utter glee in her voice. "Man, it feels good to say that again!"

**Note:** **Yo! It's TIM here with the much anticipated sequel to Fate:Zero Sense! The reason to this early release is that I wanted to get the prologue chapter out of the way since it has been bugging me for a while. Please note that since summer ended, my life is about to get _pretty_ hectic now. So the chapters won't be as quickly released as the ones for Fate:Zero Sense were.**

**And all the Servants in this fic are from Anime/Manga lore, so if you recognize them good for you! If you do not, get researching! And as you saw, EMIYA will still be in this fic. But it will not be the same EMIYA that you knew and loved… (Cue mysterious music…) And as before, if you are not familiar with the Masters go on Type-Moon Wiki for more information.**

**Anyway, review! Reviews are fuel for my muse as an author, so the more reviews that have praise, constructive criticism, and suggestions I get the better this work becomes and the sooner chapters come out! So give your fingers a workout and get reviewing!**

**…Please?**


	2. The War Is A' Changing

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Sakura hummed to herself happily as she walked down her usual route towards Shirou's house. It was not _that_far of a walk, and she enjoyed the time she had to herself. And the fact that it led to her meeting her Sempai and cooking her pseudo-family breakfast made it all better. Perhapsshe would make a western style breakfast to change things a bit…

"So, who's this Shirou guy?" Assassin asked as he walked beside her, breaking her peaceful thoughts and making Sakura look at him with surprise all over her face. "He your partner or something?"

"P-Partner?" Sakura stammered out as a fairly naughty picture of her and Shirou popped into her mind. Sakura then shook her head to dispel the thought before it went any further. "N-No! H-He's my Sempai! Why would you think we are p-partners?"

"Oh, so you aren't a Meister?" Assassin asked before shrugging. "Guess there really isn't a DWMA here. But then…" A huge grin then formed on Assassin's face before he shouted out, "No one here can even come _close_ to being as big of a star as me! This war's going to be a piece of cake! Gahahaha!" Assassin kept laughing while Sakura just sulked. Did Assassin really have to be _this_ loud?

"A-assassin…" Sakura spoke up, making Assassin stop laughing and turn to her. "I thought I asked you to stay in my h-home…"

"Yeah, but the place is too dark and dreary for a star like me." Assassin replied with another shrug. "Besides, I gotta find the perfect stage to introduce myself on to the other Servants."

"But I have school after I'm done at Sempai's house! A-And the Holy Grail War is supposed to be secret!" Sakura attempted to reason with her (Very) unruly Servant. "A-And after school I have Archery Club. So you won't be able to introduce yourself to anyone until nighttime"

Assassin's face scrunched up in thought while Sakura felt a bead of sweat run down the back of her neck. Could Assassin be able to tell she was trying to trick him.

"Yeah, a normal school isn't the place for a big guy like me."

Apparently not…

"Alright, I'll stay at your place for _today._" Assassin emphasized, making Sakura sigh in exasperation. "But if you need me, just use your Command Seals." Sakura nodded in agreement before Assassin turned around and looked towards the roof of a house. He then jumped upwards, shocking Sakura as he landed on one rooftop and then jumped to another towards the general direction of the Matou Manor. "YAHHOOOO!" Assassin yelled as he disappeared into the distance, making Sakura sigh as she continued to walk towards her Sempai's home.

At this rate, she would loose the Holy Grail War in a week…

**_Later (Tohsaka Manor):_**

"Mhmmm!" Archer hummed to himself as he wolfed down his omelet within two seconds. Rin, now dressed in her school uniform and her sunglasses stashed away into her pocket, gaped at the Servant without so much as _touching_ her own food. She had just gone to bed last night despite the complaints made by her Servant, and in the morning she had been woken up by her mother like always. After getting dressed and heading to the kitchen to eat breakfast, she had witnessed a sight that made her mouth drop in amazement and horror.

Her mother had made Archer, who was lounging on a chair and gulping down a carton of milk like nothing, a feast that was practically half-gone. And now, it might as well _be_gone!

"This is really good! Thanks a bunch Aoi!" Archer said to Aoi, who smiled sweetly at the Servant. Rin noticed the food smudges on her mother's clothes. Had she been spending the whole morning cooking for her Servant?

"The pleasure is all mine Archer-san." Aoi told Archer before glancing at Rin. "Rin, aren't you going to eat?"

That little statement snapped Rin from her stupor before pointing at Archer and shouting, "What are you doing? You're a Servant! You shouldn't be hungry let alone eating!"

"Who said?" Archer asked mid-bite while looking at Rin. "Because I think I can tell when I'm hungry."

"W-well that is true…" Rin stammered out while looking to the side. "B-But you _should_ be able to completely rely on my Prana rather than consuming that much food!"

"But Prana and food are two separate things!" Archer countered with a tone of a parent chiding a child for making a mistake. "You can't _eat_ Prana to make you not hungry anymore!"

Rin groaned while placing her head into her hands. How could she get a Servant that was this stubborn and childlike? _"And I thought Father's Archer was childish…"_ Rin thought to herself while removing her hands from her face. There was no use in complaining now. She had to rethink her strategy for the war. Rin then looked at Archer before asking, "Archer, I had been originally planning for this war with a Saber as my Servant…"

"_Pretty_ sure I'm not a Saber." Archer informed her, making Aoi giggle and Rin scowl in frustration.

"…_but_ now that I have an Archer, I must rethink my original plan." Rin then looked at Archer with an extremely serious expression on her face. "Can you tell me your identity?" If she knew what legendary hero Archer was, then her plan for the war could be much more thorough and well thought-out. Her original plan after getting the Servant Saber was to handle Lancer, Archer, and _maybe_ Assassin first before getting the others.

It wasn't much of a plan, but at least it was _something_.

Archer looked at her for a moment before taking a deep breath, making Rin lean forward. Was he a famous gunslinger from the American Wild West? Was he a…?

"You think I'm going to tell you right now?" Archer asked while sticking out his tongue and wagging his finger. "Being a Servant means that you got to protect your identity as long as possible _stupid_!"

"W-what did you just say to me?" Rin asked furiously before throwing her plate, food and all, at the Servant who just caught it with his right hand and gulping down the food mid-air with his mouth. Rin fumed at Archer, who just licked his lips. Although his reason towards not giving his identity to her was understandable, he shouldn't take that tone to her, his _Master,_ of all people!

"You're going to be late for school Rin!" Aoi informed her, making Rin glance at the clock. It was 7:10, which meant that school was going to start in twenty minutes! She _had_to keep her cover as a model student and arrive there early!

"Archer, dissipate and follow me! We will finish our discussion later!" Rin yelled before getting up, grabbing her lunch and book bag, and bolting out of the door.

Aoi smiled at the Servant before saying, "Please, keep her safe."

Archer just smiled before getting out of his chair, dusting himself off, and began to disappear from view. "No problem!" Was the last thing Archer said before he dissipated from Aoi's sight.

**_Elsewhere (Edelfelt Manor):_**

Rays of sunlight met with Luvia's closed eyes, making them slowly flutter open before she yawned, stretching her arms as she got the kinks out of her neck. She had the most _wonderful_ dream during the night. She had finally defeated that barbaric Tohsaka Rin in a battle with Lancer standing above Rin's pathetic Servant. Then Emiya Shirou, the apple of her eye, came to her on a majestic black stallion with his fiery red hair flowing in the wind. He then picked her up with his strong arms and rode them to a nearby cottage. Where they…!

Luvia looked under her blanket and gave an annoyed sigh. It seemed like she would need a fresh pair of panties…

"Good morning Master." The quiet voice of Lancer said from Luvia's side, making Luvia shriek in surprise.

"D-don't scare me like that!" Luvia shouted while attempting to catch her breath. Lancer was like a ghost! Although considering her origin, it was not _that far_ from the truth. Lancer kept looking at her with her red eyes, the spear she held last night now gone. She must have banished the thing once she realized there was no need for it.

"I'm sorry Master. I did not mean to alarm you." Lancer apologized in her usual monotone voice before gazing out the window. "I did not wish to disturb your slumber, which is why I waited until you awoke."

"Hmph." Luvia huffed out while getting out of bed and going to her walk-in closet, which held her numerous dresses. She then picked up her school uniform (God, it was such a dreadful thing.) and began changing behind a booth. "Very well Lancer, however I do not wish for you to do it again. Wake me up should there be something of importance. Or await for me in your spirit form."

"As you wish Master." Lancer responded while observing her Master's silhouette. "Master, due to you being a student in some school I wish to inform you that the time is now 7:22 A.M."

"WHAT!?" Luvia shouted before running out of the booth with her shirt barely buttoned up. "Why hadn't Sebastian…?"

"I made sure that no one attempted to get into your quarters while you were resting Master." Lancer told Luvia, who just stared at her blankly. Perhaps Lancer taking her role as a Servant a bit _too_ seriously…

"Gah!" Luvia screamed while slipping on her shoes and running for the door. "Lancer, dissipate and stay beside me during school! I do not want that brute Tohsaka to make her Servant attack me in plain view!"

"Understood Master." Lancer stated before disappearing, not that Luvia could see it. She was a bit busy attempting to get fully dressed while crashing through her door, much to the surprise of her personal butler.

Why did her first day as a Master have to start out like this?

**_Elsewhere (Ryuudoji Temple):_**

Souichirou looked at Caster, who was sitting on his kitchen chair, as he digested the information she had told him. He, a normal human, was to participate in a bloody battle between seven magicians and the legendary heroes that they had summoned as Servants. The Holy Grail War had seven classes in total. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. Each class' name represented what their hero was skilled at. He had apparently summoned the Caster class, who were usually more skilled in magic than the regular Magus.

Caster had told him the name she used in life, Erza Scarlet (Not that he had heard of any legendary hero with that name), to him along with her expertise in 'Re-Quip' magic. She had told him that she could probably match Saber in a sword battle, and was not as helpless as the usual members of the Caster class were.

_"To think, I attempt to flee a life of conflict after feeling no purpose in it. Only to find myself brought into a battle of another sort…"_ Souichirou thought to himself while Caster sipped her tea. It seemed as if she was giving him time to decide what he wished to do. His skills as an assassin had not gotten rusty despite fleeing the lifestyle. After all, he had to keep in shape _somehow_. But his opponents were six Magi, each with a skill different from the others. He could not properly prepare for them if each had a different attack pattern. Souchirou would have to find out the identities of the other Masters first…

"So Master, have you decided your path?" Caster asked as she set down her cup and gazed him in the eyes. "Are you truly willing to participate in this battle?"

"Do you wish to?" Souichirou asked back, making Caster's eyes widen in shock.

"Y-yes! Of course! I must win the Holy Grail!" Caster responded with a bit of a stutter in the beginning, most likely from the shock of his question.

"Very well." Souichirou answered before walking to his suitcase and picking it up. "Then I shall participate as well."

"…" Caster stayed silent for a moment while looking at him curiously. "Do you have any wish?"

"…None." Was Souichirou's simple reply as he headed for the door. "I am going. Stay here until I return."

"If you are in need of me, use the Command Seals to call me to your side." Caster informed him before he left, leaving Caster alone in the kitchen.

"…What a strange man that I have for a Master…" Caster muttered to herself as she took another sip of her tea. "Needs more sugar…"

**_Elsewhere (Bazett's Apartment):_**

Bazett groaned as she stumbled into her small kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. She was dead tired and all her bones ached. She didn't know why, but she had a bizarre dream. She had summoned some white haired, one eyed, tan guy instead of her hero Cu Chulainn. And in the _Avenger_ class of all things…

_"At least that didn't really happen."_ Bazette thought to herself as she watched coffee slowly drip into the pot. _"My chances in this war would have been completely shot if it did. From my research of the Holy Grail War, the Avenger class only appeared once and was the weakest of them all."_ Not only that, but the Avenger class had to completely rely on their legend. They did not get the 'boost' the other Servants got in their classes. And if the Avenger was from a minor legend, the Master might as well just throw in the towel right then and there. Bazette then poured herself a cup of coffee (Dark, just how she liked it). As she took her first, long sip she thought _"Now, all I have to do is wait a few hours before summoning Cu…" _Bazette then froze as she saw Avenger sitting at her table with a cup of tea in hand and an amused smirk on his face.

"Good morning Master." Avenger said with a nonchalant tone while taking another sip.

Bazette dropped the mug in her hands before spitting out the coffee in her mouth. _"H-How…?"_ "Y-Y-y-y-…!" Bazette stammered out while pointing at Avenger.

"Me what?" Avenger asked while taking another sip, snapping Bazette out of her stupor.

"That really happened!?" Bazette shouted out while still pointing at Avenger with a shaky finger. "I summoned Avenger?"

"Yes, I recall that my class is Avenger." Avenger informed her, making Bazette fume. She was _really_ starting to hate this guy's attitude. "The fact that I was even summoned was simply pure luck."

"Huh?" Bazette asked while Avenger set down his cup and looked at her.

"Think about it. You summoned me, _Avenger_, the _eight_ Servant. Which means that all the others were summoned before you summoned me." As he saw Bazette's face fall, he began to laugh a bit. "I'm kidding! I don't know why I was summoned as Avenger instead of being summoned as Saber. Perhaps it was a mistake in your summoning array?"

"T-there were no mistakes! I checked and re-checked the thing five times before I did it!" Bazette shouted while Avenger just let his amused smirk return to his face. The only thing she did differently was use her blood as the catalyst, which did not get her the Servant she desired. Bazette sighed as she placed her hand on her forehead. The fact remained that she had successfully summoned a Servant, and thus still a part of the Holy Grail War. She might as well make the best of it. "Avenger, if you are going to be my Servant I need your identity."

"…I cannot recall it for the life of me." Avenger informed her. "I can recall my skills in battle alongside my Noble Phantasm. But that is it. I do not know my name or my legend."

"That's impossible…" Bazette muttered to herself as her eyes grew wide. This shouldn't happen, Avenger should have full knowledge of his own deeds and his identity! _All_Servants should! "How can you not remember a thing?"

"If I knew I would tell you. Perhaps the fault truly lies in your failure to properly perform the summoning." Avenger told Bazette while standing up and walking towards the small TV she had in the apartment. "By the way Master, I must say that black lingerie is a bit daring for nightwear."

Bazette's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates before looking at her attire. She had worn her white t-shirt and black panties to sleep last night, and had thus given her Servant an eyeful. Bazette ran to her room in order to put on some _acceptable_ clothes.

So far, the War has been one unfortunate incident after another.

**_Elsewhere (Einzbern Manor):_**

Illyasviel observed Berserker as he continued to mill around the garden in the back of the Manor. She had awoken an hour ago and dressed in relative silence. She had made sure that her maids did not come along for the trip to Fuyuki. She was nineteen years old damn it! She could handle herself! Luckily, her grandfather trusted, or was damn sure that she would not betray him, enough to allow her to come to the city without supervision. The Einzberns just wanted to see the formation of the Grail within her, and she _would _make sure to win in order for the damn thing to form like they wished. However, they will _not_ be expecting her to make a wish. It was a fairly simple wish. She wanted more time to live. Her body, now heavily altered to suit being a Master for this Holy Grail War, would only last a year give-or-take. After that time, she would die just like the other homunculi.

Like her mother.

"Berserker, what are you doing?" Illyasviel asked, making her Servant look at her with surprise on his face. She then noticed that the ridiculous mask he had on last night was gone, revealing wavy and spikey brown hair.

_"Hm, Berserker is one handsome man…" _Illyasviel thought to herself as Berserker walked towards her. While she was stuck in the body of a child, it did not mean that she was unable to see things like a girl her age _should_. She just acted childish because it was fun. And she got away with it because of her body.

"I was looking at the flowers." Berserker responded while looking back at the garden. "Do you take care of them?"

"…no. I only arrived here a few days ago. The ones who took care of the manor were some worker grandfather hired." Illyasviel responded while looking at her Servant. She did not know a single thing about gardening. Hell, the only reason why she knew a lot about the outside world was thanks to some books and movies lying around in her mother and father's old room. "Berserker, who were you in life?" Berserker looked a bit surprised at the question before Illyasviel continued. "Since you aren't Hercules, I have to know what you _can_ do. Your identity would help with that."

"…I'm Casshern." Berserker told her after a minute of silence, making Illyasviel's face scrunch up in confusion. Where had she heard that name before?

_"Robot Hunter Casshan." _Illyasviel thought as she remembered a tape in her mother's room. "YOU'RE A CARTOON CHARACTER!?" Illyasviel shouted while pointing at Berserker.

"What?" Berserker asked in shock while Illyasviel stomped her foot in anger.

"How can I get someone like you as a Servant?" Illyasviel raged much to the confusion of Berserker. She then stomped back into the manor before shouting, "Berserker, make me breakfast! If you don't make anything good then I'll…!" Illyasviel kept raging as she got out of earshot, leaving Berserker alone.

Berserker sighed as he looked up to the sky and said, "…I should have kept my mouth shut…"

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Church):_**

"TIM must be getting lazy. I mean, this story has Shirou listed as a main character yet he still hasn't introduced him yet." Kirei said while munching on a bag of chips, sitting on the couch with Wade beside him holding the remote.

"I'm sure he'll introduce the suicidal superhero wannabe soon. I think he just wants to give this the same 'feel' as Fate:Zero Sense." Wade then sighed as he flipped through another channel. "Have you _seen_ the TV trope page of the fic? Whoever described us not appreciating 'InsertRandomUsername' obviously never read the authors notes of the fic."

"Ah, screw that guy. How dare he call us the 'poor man's Fate:Inertia Dawn'? He probably never even wrote a single fic in his life!" Kirei then threw the now empty bag of chips over his shoulder before turning to Wade. "I'm also amazed that no one recognized Erza as Caster. Fairy Tail has a rapidly growing fanbase after all."

"Meh, who knows. And you would think that, with the new Toonami lineup, they would have saw Berserker as Casshern. I mean, what _else _are they going to do at midnight on Saturday?" Wade then cracked open a beer before saying, "You think that TIM is really going to focus more on S-?" A Black Key then imbedded into his forehead, stopping him from talking anymore.

"I'm beginning to think that TIM is going to make this a 'thing' for the rest of the fic…" Kirei muttered to himself as Wade slowly took out the Black Key from his forehead. "After all, we are the Fourth Wall Breaking duo of this fic, and thus could spoil everything that could happen in this flc."

"Guess your right." Wade responded before looking at the TV guide once more. "Hey, turn to Comedy Central. I wanna see that Kenny kid die again."

"Ah yes, the inspiration for Lancer in Carnival Phantasm." Kirei muttered to himself with a smirk on his face before aiming at the TV with the remote and pressing a button.

Kirei just _loved _being the villain who just dicked around all day.

**_Elsewhere (Streets Of Fuyuki):_**

"Ah, I must say Japan is a _very_ interesting place husband!" Cristina shouted as she skipped down the sidewalk. "I cannot even imagine what you felt like once you arrived here!"

"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself Cristina." Waver said truthfully, however his face was red, beads of sweat were trickling down his face, and his body stature was slouched. In his hands he was carrying his guitar case, his own suitcase, and two bags containing Cristina's items. While he packed rather lightly, Cristina just _had _to bring numerous bags containing her beauty products, clothes, and various other things she found 'necessary' to bring for the Holy Grail War.

At least Rider was helping him out with the bags, otherwise they would not have made it through the block past the motel they stayed in for the night.

_"Just what does she carry in these things? Bricks?"_ Waver asked himself as he looked at Rider. Rider had changed into his own version of casual clothes. He wore two dark blue sneakers, brown cargo pants, and a blue shirt with a big red star in the center. Hanging from his neck was a small necklace with a golden drill and on his head were his goggles. Rider was carrying two bags, also containing Cristina's clothes. However they were _twice _as big as the ones Waver was carrying. And Rider didn't look like he had even broken a sweat! _"Am I really _that_ out of shape?"_

"Hey, you okay?" Rider asked Waver as he glanced towards him. "You look kind of warn out."

"I'm sure my husband is well Rider." Cristina shouted from over her shoulder to the Servant. "He survived the last Grail War after all. And he is the most _manly_ person I have ever met!"

"Why does she keep calling you manly?" Rider whispered to Waver's ear, making Waver slump even more.

"Don't ask…" He replied before shifting his arms one more time to accommodate the weight. "What we need to focus on is finding a permanent base of operations. Cristina dosen't want to stay in the motel…"

"The place was filthy husband! They probably didn't even bother to wash the sheets before we arrived!"

"…so we need to either hypnotize a family into letting us stay, or find a nicer hotel to stay at." Waver then contemplated the choices a bit before shaking his head. "No, we_have_ to stay at a regular house. A hotel would be too big of a target, and the other Masters might look for the names of well known Magi in the guest list."

"Guess your right. But I don't like how we have to drag people into this war by providing a place to stay at…" Rider said with a small frown on his face as he kept walking beside Waver.

"Neither do I, but we do need someplace to stay and our options are limited." Waver told Rider as they passed a small group of high school students. One of which was a brown haired girl with shoulder-length brown hair.

Mitsuduri Ayako stopped following her friends as she saw a small group of foreigners pass them. She then turned around and looked at the black haired foreigner who was wearing the strange red coat in shock. The man looked so damn _familiar_ to her. She had seen him before somewhere…

Her eyes then widened as she remembered _that_ day. The Great Fuyuki Fire, the horrible disaster that claimed hundreds of lives and would have taken hers if her savior had not rescued her. A teenage boy had dug her out from the ashes of her uncle's house and had brought her to get professional help. He had told her his name, and she remembered it for all these years…

"Ayako, what's wrong?" Her friend and classmate, Ayaka asked as she broke from the group and ran towards the group that had passed them. Ignoring her friends, she ran behind the black-haired man and tapped his shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at her curiosly.

"A-are you…?" Ayako began to ask nervously before gulping. Why the Hell was she so damn nervous to ask a simple question? "A-Are you Waver Velvet?"

"Yes." The man, Waver, replied as he turned his body to face her completely. His eyes were narrowed with suspicion while the blue-haired man next to him shifted his feet a bit. "How do you know me?"

"I-I…" Ayako stammered out before diverting her eyes. She had finally met the man who saved her life, and all she could do is stammer like a nervous wreck? "I'm Mitsuduri Ayako. Y-you saved my life ten years ago…"

Waver's eyes widened as he remembered the day of the fire. How he saved the little girl from her fate amongst the burning wreckage. She remembered him after all this time? "…Yes, I remember you. Tell me, how are your burns?"

Oh yeah, _real_ smooth way to start a conversation Velvet…

"T-they are still on me. But you can barely see them now…" She whispered while clutching her shoulder.

"That's good. I'm glad to know that you are okay Ayako." Waver told her before a blonde woman tackled him and began hugging him from his back.

"Husband~! Come on~!" The woman shouted, making Ayako's eyes widen in surprise. Waver was married to such a young woman? "We still need to find a residence to stay at!"

_"Residence to stay at…"_ Ayako repeated in her mind as Waver and his wife talked to one another and the blue haired man just looked on with an amused grin on his face. This was her chance! She had always dreamed that one day, she would be able to repay the man who saved her life. And needing a place to stay was such an _easy_ way of repaying him! Ayako quickly took off her bag and began rummaging through it until she found her cell phone and dialed her father's number. After a moment of silence passed, her father answered the phone and she said, "Tou-san, I need a favor…"

"Already seducing the maidens of Japan husband? You work so fast~!" Cristina cooed as she kept hugging Waver.

"No, it isn't like that!" Waver denied furiously while Rider kept looking on.

"Does this happen every day?" Rider asked Waver, who just sighed and gave a small nod. Rider then grinned before saying, "Heh, no wonder bro liked having you for a Master!"

"Waver-san!" Ayako spoke again, closing her phone. "I just spoke to my Tou-san, and he said he would be more than happy to allow you to stay in our house for now!" Sure, it took some convincing (Especially because she was trying to bring over a strange man she had never seen or heard from in years) but it happened.

"Huh?" Waver asked before Cristina let her go and began shaking Ayako's hand furiously.

"Oh thank you! We have been journeying aimlessly for hours now! You bring such good news to us! Please, lead us to your home!" Cristina shouted with a bright smile on her face.

"Uh, okay…" Ayako muttered before leading them towards the direction of her house. Looks like she would be a little bit late for school today…

"Come on husband! Let's go!" Cristinga shouted as she literally _pulled_ Waver's arm to follow her while Rider casually walked with them. None of them noticed that they passed a small café called 'Ahnenerbe' that had a brown-haired twenty-something year old man with blue eyes and a small goatee on his chin who wore a simple white shirt, jeans, and sneakers wiping down the tables inside while eying them through the window.

_"…Waver Velvet?"_ The now grown Shinji Ikari, former Lancer of the Fourth Holy Grail War, asked himself in shock as he watched the now grown former Master of Rider walk past the café. _"I need to tell Sola-san about this…"_ Suddenly, the phone in the café rang and Shinji quickly picked it up before saying, "Hello, this is Ahnenerbe…" He then sighed before saying, "Sir, for the hundredth time we do not serve Mapo Tofu. And there is no one named 'I.M Emo Bitch' here." Shinji quickly hung up the phone before the laughter could erupt through the line and sighed.

Why the Hell did that guy keep calling during _his_ shift?

**To Be Continued….**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"Yo! The Taiga Dojo begins now!" Taiga shouted as she pumped her fist into the air. "Good thing you all could not get enough of me!"

"Why hasn't Onii-chan been introduced yet?" Illyasviel whined as anime tears fell from her eyes. "I want to ki… I mean _meet_ him soon!"

"Well, TIM had to do the old 'aftermath' chapter of the Servants being summoned! Not only that, but my first boyfriend in fanfiction that is not Shirou-kun has arrived!" Taiga then began to giggle like a schoolgirl while drooling at the same time.

"You need to get your mind out of the gutter Sensei…" Illyasviel said with a sigh while kicking an imaginary stone on the floor. "At least the next chapter will focus on Onii-chan…"

"Now then my student, give the title for the next chapter!" Taiga yelled while pointing at the readers.

"Right! Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'Emiya Begins'!" Illyasviel shouted before looking confused. "Isn't TIM overdoing it with the Batman references?"

"CHECK IT OUT!" Taiga yelled while jumping in front of Illyasviel, blocking her from view.

**Note-**** Yo faithful followers! As a reward for all those reviews I have gotten for the first chapter and the fact that I had some free time on my hands, here is the second chapter of Fate:Stay Away! I would like to inform you all that the format of the story will change a bit next chapter, and will focus just a bit more on both Waver and Shirou. Why, you may ask? You will find out soon enough.**

**Also, how do you think I handled the characters? Please give me suggestions on where I need to improve, if the are OC or IC, and finally suggestions towards what shenanigans the new Masters and their Servants will get into. Your feedback means a LOT to me.**

**Which brings me to these final words. REVIEW! As I have demonstrated time and time again, the more reviews I get the more motivated I become! So review my minions!**

**…Please?**


	3. Emiya Begins

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here. **

_Emiya Shirou had been having the same dream over and over again. He kept remembering about _that_ night. The one where his life changed forever. _

_He only remembered bits and pieces about the day it happened. He could not remember his real mother and father. Their faces were always blank slates to him; no noticeable features that could help him identify them. Shirou did not know if that was a blessing or a curse to him, but in the end it was moot. _

_He remembered peeking out of a window and watching two giants, one red and one purple, battling each other. He remembered the proud red giant falling once it valiantly pushed the purple giant away, and seeing a figure in blue hop from building to building afterwards. _

_He remembered seeing a strange mud seep from street to street, and buildings erupting into frame. As the place he was in began to set on fire, he remembered two hands wrap around him and push him into the street before he heard something crash and screams echo into the night. _

_Shirou ran after that, sweating and panting as the heat and fumes of the fire reached him. He smelled the stench or burning flesh and heard the screams of numerous other not as fortunate as him. His mind was going weaker and weaker with each passing second. His vision was beginning to fail him, and his breath was growing shorter with each passing second. _

_"I-I don't want to die…" He remembered saying out loud before stumbling to the side and lying on the rubble of a building. He felt his skin being cut and burnt as he landed but did not care. Despite his wish, no one was going to save him. He was going to become another nameless body amongst the numerous others who died…._

_Then, he felt someone turn him over. His eyes were still closed, so he could not see who it was. He felt something enter him, and somehow his strength returned to him. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see a man with spikey black hair, a dirty black jacket, and the smell of cigarettes on him with tears leaking from his black eyes. _

_"You're alive…" The man muttered out while holding his hand. "You're alive!" Gratefulness was in his tone as he rubbed Shirou's hand to his cheek and muttered, "Thank you…" It was as if, by saving Shirou, _he_ was saved as well. Shirou would remember that look for the rest of his life. The joy that comes with saving someone. _

_That man would later introduce himself as Emiya Kiritsugu. _

_His savior. _

_His teacher. _

_His dad… _

**_Back To Reality:_**

"Sempai, wake up…" Sakura said softly as she shook Shirou's sleeping form. When Shirou just grumbled in response, Sakura just sighed with a smile on her face. Her Sempai had fallen asleep by being too busy once again… "Come on Sempai, you have to get ready from school or else Maiya-san will get angry."

Shirou slowly opened his eyes and blinked out the blurriness from his vision to see Sakura smiling at him. She was his junior by one year, and had been visiting his house for years to help him cook and clean despite his initial protests to not do so. He still had no idea why she kept coming. Shirou then looked around to view his surroundings. Seemed like he slept in the shed again… "Damn…" Shirou muttered to himself as he got up and began to roll his neck and stretch a bit to get the kinks out of his body. "What time is it?"

"It's still a bit before school starts Sempai. Maiya-san asked for me to wake you up while she got ready for work." Sakura informed him while blushing and looking away. Was she getting a fever or something again?

"Well thanks Sakura. I'll be ready in a bit. Can you please get breakfast started? No doubt Fuji-nee will come in a bit." Shirou let out a small chuckle as he remembered the energetic and sometimes random teacher/sister figure of his. Taiga did not live that far away and kept coming over to check up on him despite Maiya being around. In fact, the house he lived in was a favor from her grandfather who ran a 'respectably business' (Yakuza gang) to his father. Sometimes, she brought over her boyfriend Shinji over. He was friendly, a bit quiet at times, and worked at a local café. Absolutely _nothing_ like Taiga at all. However for some reason he was _extremely_ nervous around Kiritsugu, who always seemed to be a bit more serious whenever they talked. "I want to get my workout started."

"O-okay…" Sakura muttered as she slowly got out of the shed while looking over her shoulder at him from time to him before closing the door. Shirou then opened a drawer before taking out a rifle and a timer. He then started the timer before disassembling the gun, leaving the parts scattered on the table, and reassembled it at breakneck speeds.. He then slammed his palm on the timer before looking at it.

_ 1.59 minutes _

"…Need to get better…" Shirou muttered to himself as he put the thing away and began walking out of the shed and to the dojo. He was an _acceptable_ Magus, one just above a novice. Lessons from Maiya and Kiritsugu saw to that. In fact, he had two Familiars. A bat and a small mouse. Both of which were small and would be unnoticeable to the everyday man in night. But after Kiritsugu died, Maiya _drilled _him how to use numerous types of guns. Just in case he had to defend himself against the Tohsaka head should he be discovered as an unregistered Magus by her. While Sakura was from the Matou family, he could never imagine the sweet girl ratting him out. Her brother however….

Shirou then entered the Dojo and smiled slightly as memories flowed into his head. He had sparred with Kiritsugu and Maiya so that he could defend himself should he be without a weapon. His father said that a Magus should be trained in both body and mind, so he had to keep his body in shape. With that in mind, Shirou began his daily workout of a hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, and a hundred and twenty jumping jacks.

After that was done, Shirou walked to the shower and began to rinse the sweat off of his body. In a few minutes he was done and began to dress in his regular school uniform. However, under his pants tied to his right leg was a combat knife that Maiya instructed for him to bring just incase he had to fight for his life. Once he was fully dressed he looked in the mirror and frowned at what he saw. _"Another one…"_ Shirou thought to himself as he spotted yet _another_ grey hair in his mop of red hair. He had been worried of going prematurely grey for a while, since the possibility that it ran in his birth family was _very _likely. He could not imagine turning twenty-something and finding his entire head covered in grey hair. It would be like looking at a complete stranger in the mirror…

Shaking his head to get those thoughts out he quickly got into the kitchen and spotted Sakura putting down a regular western-style breakfast on the table. At the other end of the table was Hisau Maiya, his now legal guardian and mother figure, sipping on her (most likely black) coffee dressed in black pants, a black short-sleeved shirt, and black shoes. She had not changed much over the years besides getting a few grey hairs in her normally black hair. Despite getting money from Kiritsugu's bank accounts, Maiya worked at a local antique store so that they could have some extra cash. Thus, she would sometimes stayed until the store's closing time.

"Morning Maiya-san." Shirou greeted before sitting himself down and served himself some food. While he preferred Japanese-style cooking, Sakura's western-style dishes were something to die for. "Sorry for…"

"I have told you time and time again Shirou that you cannot sleep in that shed. You are to sleep in your own quarters." Maiya said coldly while putting down her mug and taking a bite out of her pancakes.

"Yeah sorry. Lost track of time…" Shirou apologized with a nervous laugh. Maiya _did_ care for him. It's just that she sometimes had trouble _expressing_ that care. But she had gotten better since Kiritsugu first picked him up.

"Sempai, I don't understand why you keep sleeping there. The floor has to be uncomfortable, and you could get seriously hurt…" Sakura said worryingly while Shirou just smiled. Sakura was kind and considerate as always…

"Don't worry Sakura. I'll…"

"SHIROU! SAKURA! FEED ME!" One Fujimura Taiga shouted as she ran into the kitchen, sat down next to Maiya, and served herself before utterly devouring the plate. "You two are so kind, giving your helpless Sensei this much food!"

"You help yourself Fuji-nee." Shirou said blandly while Sakura just smiled at the sight.

"Aw, why are you so mean to me Shirou-kun?" Taiga whined as she put down the plate. "To talk like that to a helpless maiden when her love is tragically ripped from her…"

"Shinji-san has a job Sensei. He can't help it if he must go there." Sakura told the energetic teacher while Maiya continued to eat.

"If you do not appreciate us, then go eat at your own home Fujimura." Maiya told Taiga, making Shirou sigh. For some reason, Maiya always considered Taiga more of an annoyance rather than a member of the family.

"Why are you so cold to me Maiya-chan?" Taiga wailed while hugging Maiya, who obviously looked uncomfortable with the close contact. "Shirou-kun and Sakura-chan are picking up on your ice-cold personality! You should go out and find a good man like my Shinji-kun!"

"Fujimura…" Maiya said in a low, annoyed tone that made Shirou begin to sweat. That was a 'no-no' topic when it came to Maiya…

"Oh crap! I'm going to be late!" Taiga yelled while spotting the clock before getting up and getting her bag. "Come on Sakura! You've got to go to Archery Club remember?"

"R-right!" Sakura squeaked out as she got up and began to follow (More liked grabbed by the arm and dragged out by) Taiga. "S-see you soon Sempai!"

"Yeah sure, you too!" Shirou yelled back as Sakura and Taiga disappeared from view. He then calmly finished his breakfast before getting up and saying, "Well, I might as well be off then. Don't want to be late."

"Have a good day at school Shirou." Maiya told him in a soft voice, making Shirou smile as he walked out of the kitchen, put on his shoes, and leave through the front door. When she was alone, Maiya let a small smile grace her lips before looking at a small portrait that was on the kitchen wall. It was she and Kiritsugu, side by side, with an eight-year-old Shirou smiling happily to the camera. She had no expression on her face, but her lips were slightly upturned while Kiritsugu had a smile but a sad look in his eyes as he ruffled Shirou's hair in the picture. She then let out a sigh before muttering, "I wish you could see him now Kiritsugu…"

Shirou walked down his regular route to school with his book bag slung over his right shoulder and his left hand in his pocket. He was in no true hurry. His route usually took around five to eight minutes to get to school. And he already had his books for the first few periods so he could just go straight to homeroom. Yup, just another usual day in Fuyuki City…

Suddenly, a large black limo sped down the streets at breakneck speeds towards the school. Shirou blinked a bit before saying to himself, "Guess Luvia woke up late…" Luvia was his neighbor and fellow classmate who lived across the street in a massive mansion despite the only residents being herself and one butler. He had helped her out around the house once when the butler, Sebastian, got sick and talked to her for a bit. She was really nice despite being a bit haughty. "Guess that comes with being part of an older Magus family…" Shirou muttered to himself as he kept walking. Maiya always warned him to be careful of Luvia because the Edelfelts were just as skilled as the Tohsakas when it came to magic. But he could not see Luvia doing anything like attack him out of the blue. She was always looking out for him by offering him a spare lunchbox whenever she could not see that he brought his own. Which was kind of weird. Did Sebastian keep accidentally making Luvia two lunches instead of one? The butler was old, but Shirou did not think he was senile…

Shirou then felt something trickle down his left arm to his hand. He quickly took out his left hand and looked to see a small stream of blood coming from his arm to his hand and dripping onto the concrete. "Did I cut myself or something?" Shirou muttered to himself as he began to roll up his sleeve. Apparently, the wound started right above his wrist but it was now the blood flow was beginning to slow down. "I should see the nurse…" Shirou muttered to himself as he continued to walk alone.

He didn't want to be late for school after all….

**_Later (Lunch Time):_**

Shirou stretched as he got out of his chair before letting out a small yawn. Classes had been boring as usual. He didn't learn anything new today, and had gotten a bunch of homework, which would eat up his free time.

_"Well then, might as well go eat…"_ Shirou thought to himself as he got out of the classroom and went to the Student Council Room in order to eat his lunch in relative peace, and also to hang out with his friend Issei.

"Emiya!" A familiar voice called out, making Shirou turn to see Ayako with her hands on her knees and panting. He was wondering why he hadn't seen her all day…

"What is it Ayako-san?" Shirou asked curiously as Ayako began catching her breath. "If it is about the Archery Club…"

"No, it's not that Emiya…" Ayako then sighed before looking at him square in the eyes. "Look, I have some guests over at my place and I was supposed to stay over and clean up. I don't want to stand them up since they happen to be very important people to me, so can you clean up instead? I'll stop asking you to rejoin if you do!"

Shirou began to think it over. While he had a lot of homework to do, he could just do it while cleaning the Archery Club area. Plus Maiya wouldn't be back until latter, so he had a lot of time to kill even if he devoted his time solely to homework. Besides, it was against his moral code to simply say 'no' to a request as easy as that. "Sure, but you better keep your promise."

"Thank you!" Ayako shouted with honest joy before smirking at him. "Don't worry, I'm a woman of my word!" She then walked away, leaving Shirou alone in the hallway.

"…guess I'm going to be working late today…" Shirou muttered to himself as he tacked 'Archery Club Cleanup' to his mental 'to do' list before continuing his walk to the Council Room.

**_Later (Kinoko Building):_**

Rin looked at Fuyuki City during nighttime with Archer right next to her on top of one of the tallest skyscrapers in Fuyuki City. The place gave a modest view of Fuyuki City, which is why Rin brought Archer to this place in order to map out his surroundings for the war. It would not do if he was caught unprepared by a Servant whose knowledge of the environment exceeded his own.

"Take a good look around Archer. Since you are part of the Archer class, you should be able to see everything that might be of some use. Like escape routes in case we run into Berserker, or…" Rin began before hearing an amused chuckle escape from Archer's lips. "What? What's so funny?"

"That's what you brought me out here for? I thought you just wanted to see the view!" Archer then looked at the full moon before saying, "I mapped out my surroundings while you were in class. Those lessons were boring, so I just decided to do something a bit more fun than just sitting around for most of the day."

Rin scowled at this while her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. This made her sunglasses fall partially down her nose before she righted them and shouted, "W-why didn't you tell me this sooner? You could have saved me the trouble of actually bringing you here!"

Archer just laughed at her anger before suddenly stopping. His face did not loose its smile, but his eyes gained a serious edge to them. "A Servant is sending out an invitation near your school."

Rin stiffened at this. That statement alone meant that the first battle of the Holy Grail War was about to begin. "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring us to them so that we can take them out!"

"Heh, if you insist Rin!" Archer laughed before wrapping his arm around her waist and jumping off of the rooftop towards the school. Rin unconsciously clutched onto her Servant even with the knowledge that he would _never_ do anything to hurt her so long as she held the Command Seals. In a matter of moments, they were at the darkened school. There was hardly any light illuminating the place besides the lampposts in the street and the moon light. Giving the normally peaceful place an ominous appearance.

"So, I see you have accepted my invitation Tohsaka…" A voice called out, making Rin's eyes widen in shock.

_"Damn, so she did pull it off…"_ Rin thought to herself with a curse. She had not seen Luvia at all during school. Although she just _knew_ the Edelfelt was in school.. Luvia always made sure to get there before she did in an attempt to one-up her. "Edelfelt…" she growled out before turning to see her rival with that damn smug look on her face and a blue-haired girl wearing an emotionless expression wielding a red spear standing next to her.

"I'm glad that my first battle shall be with you Tohsaka. And I must say, your Servant is definitely… _lacking_." Luvia said while looking Archer up and down. "A gunmen? Well, I must say it suits someone as uncouth as you Tohsaka. My Lancer however, will defeat him in a heartbeat. I wonder if you will actually run to the church afterwards crying to the overseer for sanctuary, living with the shame of being defeated by your betters? Ohohohoho!" Luvia laughed while Lancer just blankly stared at Rin and Archer.

Rin just fumed at her taunts. Who the Hell did that _bitch_ think she was? "_Gandr!_" Rin shouted while pointing her finger at Luvia, whose eyes widened before she jumped to the side in order to dodge the bullet-like black orb.

"A-are you trying to kill me?" Luvia screeched out while Rin just smirked at her.

"What does it look like Edelfelt?" Rin asked back, making Luvia's entire face turn red.

"YOU BITCH!" Luvia yelled before dashing forward and punching Rin in the jaw. Rin's head snapped upwards before she returned the blow in kind.

"BLONDE DITZ!" Rin shouted as they exchanged blows. Both of them seemed to forget to reinforce their limbs as they exchanged punches before Luvia tackled them both to the ground. The fight now devolved into a stereotypical catfight that involved scratches, clothes being torn, and hair pulling.

"SKANK!"

"BROAD!"

"TRAMP!"

"WHORE!"

"_WHORE_!? YOU'RE…!"

The two then suddenly noticed that they did not hear any sounds of fighting coming from their Servants. Both of them turned their heads towards Archer and Lancer simultaneously to see Archer giving a wide, amused grin while observing their fight with his arms crossed. Lancer was just looking at Luvia in the exact same spot as before, not having moved an inch since Luvia and Rin began fighting.

"Please, don't mind me!" Archer laughed out, making Rin fume. Why the Hell wasn't he trying to fight Lancer?

"Lancer, why aren't you trying to fight Archer?" Luvia screeched, making Lancer blink in confusion.

"You did not instruct me too Master…" Lancer replied in her monotone voice, making Luvia slap herself in the face towards her Servant's extreme sense of loyalty.

"You have it now! Hurry up and beat Archer!" Luvia shouted back, making Lancer nod in response.

"You better win this Archer! Or else I'm not giving you any food for the rest of the week!" Rin told her Servant, who looked at her with horrified eyes before taking out an ornate black-colored revolver with the roman numeral 'XIII' engraved on its side.

"Okay then, let's go prin…!" Archer began before jumping back to avoid a wide sweep made by Lancer's spear. "Woah! You definitely don't waste time!"

"Master instructed me to defeat you. That is all that matters…" Lancer replied before shooting forward again with her spear raised upwards. She then brought it down at Archer, only for him to block it with the side of his gun before pushing it to the side.

"Guess you're right about that. So then, let's go!" Archer then aimed his gun at Lancer's head and fired, only for Lancer to cock her head to the side in order to avoid the bullet but at the cost of a few strands of hair. She then stabbed her spear into the ground and gripped the shaft with both her hands. Lancer then double-kicked Archer in the chest, making the Servant skid back by several feet before planting her feet on the ground once more. Archer then jumped into the air over Lancer, aimed his gun, and fired three more shots. All of which Lancer blocked with a fast spin of her spear.

"Geez, what is with princesses being so emotionless?" Archer asked himself before digging into his coat and throwing two sphere grenades that had the picture of a winking black cat on them. He then fired at the two grenades as they closed in on Lancer, detonating them prematurely and thus obscuring her from view. Archer then reloaded his gun in what seemed like a blink of an eye before launching towards the cloud of debris and smoke.

A white hand then lashed out, making Archer skid to a stop just as a small blade was just an inch from his neck. The dust then cleared to reveal Lancer looking a bit dirty but otherwise fine holding her spear in her right hand while holding a small knife with a white handle in another.

"Heh, gotta admit you are something else princess…" Archer muttered with a grin on his face while jumping backwards. "I guess you keep that little knife in reserve to surprise your enemies huh?"

Lancer said nothing, and simply readied her stance in preparation to launch herself at Archer once more.

"Man, Eve was more talkative than you…" Archer muttered to himself before aiming his gun at Lancer once more.

Luvia and Rin, still in their compromising position, did not dare to speak and hardly breathed as they watched the battle. Was this really what a battle of legendary heroes was supposed to be? The pace of the fight was fast, and both Servants hardly stopped fighting for anything and tried their best to defeat one another. But they could both tell their Servants were evenly matched, which meant one was going to dish out their Noble Phantasm soon…

The sound of something dropping to the ground surprised all those in the area. Making the two Masters and two Servants turn their heads…

To see one shell-shocked Emiya Shirou who just dropped his book bag.

_"…shit…"_ Was the only intelligent thought that went through Shirou's mind before he did the only thing he could think of at the moment.

Run like Hell.

**_Elsewhere:_**

_"Damn, Archer and Lancer are definitely skilled…."_ Bazette thought to herself with a frown as she looked at the battle between the Tohsaka head's Servant and the Edelfelt heiress'. While she was disappointed with the girls' one-on-one fight, _especially_ because it turned into something that Kirei was watching when she walked into his room (minus the mud, making out, and stripping of clothing) their Servants were another matter entirely. Archer seemed to be quick enough to rival the speed of a Lancer _and_ used firearms along with explosives, making him a fairly unorthodox yet dangerous Servant. Lancer meanwhile used her agility and spear-length to their fullest. She even had a back-up weapon that could kill any Servant that was not careful. _"Glad I decided to simply observe this fight rather than get involved. Avenger probably would have died if I made him just jump into the fight." _

Said Servant's mind was racing at the moment. This was not right. When Bazette had summoned him, he had simply assumed that this world had Rin summon someone like Robin Hood as Archer instead (Although that _was_ an actual possible reality). It did not change his plans _that_ much, and he simply chalked it up as a sign that he had to prepare for an unknown element. Now though… _"How could she have summoned Train Heartnet? He isn't even a real heroic spirit."_ Avenger thought with a frown as he watched the gunslinger battle against… _"More importantly, why is Luvia here and how could she have summoned Rei Ayanami as Lancer?"_ His scowl grew deeper and his hands clenched into fists. This was not good. These changes alone brought too many x-factors into his original plan. With the way things were going, this version of himself would probably not even show up…

"Crap, a civilian…" Bazette groaned out, making Avenger's ears perk up. "And he's outrunning those two idiots. Great, now I have to…"

"Allow me Master. I'll deal with this." Avenger said with his usual smooth voice while a smirk formed on his lips. Seemed that this version of himself _still_ had the worst sense of timing. Two Chinese scimitars, one black and one white with the ying-yang symbol in the center of the guards, appeared in his hands before he gripped them and launched towards the school, ignoring Bazette's shouts for him to return.

Right now, he had much bigger priorities.

**_Back With Shirou:_**

Shirou panted as he ran away from the school too the streets of Fuyuki, going through different directions in an attempt to confuse whoever was following him. Shirou could not believe what he had just _stupidly_ stumbled on.

A battle of Servants for what was most likely the Holy Grail War, happening fifty years too early apparently. After Kiritsugu died, Maiya told him that the reason why Kiritsugu went to Japan in the first place was to battle in the Holy Grail War, which was a fight between seven Magi and the seven legendary heroes they summoned to get the Holy Grail. A magical device which could grant _any_ wish no matter what it may be. She did not go into details, but the Fuyuki Fire was apparently a direct result of the war Kiritsugu participated in.

Maiya did mention though that the war was supposed to be secret, and that any civilians who stumbled into the battle were to be either hypnotized or killed. Both of which Shirou wished to avoid.

_"The Tohsakas are supposed to be one of the most serious participants, so she'll probably just kill me…"_ Shirou thought to himself as he turned another corner. _"Luvia will probably just hypnotize me…" _

The sound of air being cut made Shirou jump to the side to see a white Chinese scimitar embedded into the ground where he previously stood. Soon after, a figure dressed in a torn red cloak with tan skin and white hair landed on the ground and picked up the sword. He looked at Shirou with his one remaining eye, and Shirou could instantly tell this man was a legendary hero, a Servant, and if his actions were hinting what Shirou thought they were then he was assigned to 'take care of' the witness by his Master.

Shirou quickly took out his combat knife from his leg and applied Reinforcement to it, allowing it to become tougher than before. He knew he could not hope to match a Servant in combat, but maybe he could buy enough time to escape.

Avenger's eye widened at the sight of the knife. He _definitely_ was not in his original world. Shirou's combat stance proved that, since he knew that he did not even know how to fight for his life until much later. _"Doesn't matter. I'll just put this damn idiot out of his misery before he fucks up his life like I did." _Avenger thought to himself before rushing forward and bringing down the black sword, Bakuya, on Shirou who shakingly held it just an inch from his head with the small combat knife. _"Reinforcement so that it would not break huh? Smart…"_ Avenger then kicked Shirou in the chest, making the boy fall to the ground and drop the knife. Avenger quickly stabbed his white sword, Kanshou, through Shirou's chest before Shirou could even think of scampering away. As blood started to stream from Shirou's wound onto Konshou and stained his clothes Avenger looked at him with a cold expression on his face. "Sorry kid, but…"

_"Lance of Longinus."_ A quiet voice whispered, making Avenger jump away from Shirou as a red spear streaked past where he was originally standing on. Avenger winced as he felt the pear leave a small but deep cut on his right arm before raising Bakuya and Kanshou to block Lancer's small knife. The Servant was now in front of him still having an unreadable expression on her face, but it was _slightly_ scrunched up showing that she was trying to break through his guard. Avenger then pushed back Lancer before attempting to slice her in half. He then heard a gun being raised and used his swords to parry away the bullets fired at him.

_"Damn, just what I need…"_ Avenger thought with a scowl as he saw Archer jump from a rooftop to Lancer's side, not taking his gun off of him. _"If I don't take care of these two, then there is no doubt that Rin will come and heal the idiot."_ Avenger then took a deep breath before muttering out, "_I am the bone of my…._"

_"By the power of this Command Seal I order you, Avenger, to return to me at once!" _Bazette's voice rang out in Avenger's mind, making him scowl in frustration. He could not hope to refuse the absolute command, and so had to do what he was ordered.

_"…I'll deal with him later. There is still time."_ Avenger thought to himself before he saw Rin and Luvia run into view. Avenger's sneer only seemed to grow even more before he turned to his spirit for and disappeared from view.

"Damn!" Rin shouted as she ran next to her Servant. "You couldn't get him?"

"He left before me and the princess could even try Rin. Sorry." Archer apologized with a grimace as he put away his gun.

"Oh…" Luvia whispered as she kneeled down to Shirou's body and touched his face, horror completely written on it. "No, no…" Tears began to form in her eyes as she touched Shirou's fatal wound. "Not you Shirou…"

Rin looked away at the body. Shirou was her classmate and although she rarely talked to him, she knew how helpful of a person he was. His death would definitely change the school, and not for the better either. _"Sakura…"_ Rin thought as she remembered her estranged sister and how she spotted her gazing at the boy once with admiration in her eyes. It was obvious to practically everyone _but_ Shirou that she had a crush on him. And if he died, she would be heartbroken…

Rin then took out her family's treasured pendant and placed it on Shirou's wound. "What are you doing Tohsaka?" Luvia demanded, making Rin sigh.

"I'm going to heal this idiot's wound. It just happened so that means that there is still time to bring him to the land of the living. My pendant has a _lot_ of Mana stored in it, so it should be enough to heal him." Rin informed Luvia before she placed her hands on both the pendant and the wound. A red glow then illuminated the street as the procedure took place.

**_Shirou's Mind:_**

_It was seven years ago, and fireworks lit up the night sky. Shirou smiled as he, Kiritsugu, and Maiya walked down the Fuyuki Bridge wearing kimonos for the Ryuujin Matsuri festival. While it was not a fairly popular festival in Japan, it was a massive event for the citizens of Fuyuki City. It brought Shirou happiness when he, Kiritsugu, and Maiya were at events like this. Kiritsugu would loose all the sadness he usually had in his eyes while Maiya smiled a bit more than usual. Right now, Shirou was holding a small Spider-Man action figure that Fuji-nee's boyfriend Shinji gave him. Kiritsugu just had his hand on Shirou's shoulder while Maiya kept munching on a big piece of cake she had gotten at a street vendor. _

_She would have eaten the whole vendor if Kiritsugu had not dragged her off. _

_"Heh, you sure like that thing don't you Shirou-kun?" Kiritsugu asked, making Shirou smile._

_"Yeah. Spider-Man is pretty cool, and he is a great hero!" Shirou exclaimed with childlike glee before noticing Kiritsugu get that sad look in his eye once more. _

_"You know Shirou-kun, being a hero in real life is much more different than how they show it in the comic books." Kiritsugu informed him, making Maiya stop eating and look at him with worried eyes. Shirou looked at him with a confused expression on his face as Kiritsugu continued. "Saving someone means that you have to choose to not save someone else." _

_To this day, Shirou does not understand what Kiritsugu meant. _

**_Reality:_**

Shirou gasped as he opened his eyes and sat straight up. He began to pant as memories flowed back into his mind. The Servant stabbed him, he felt the blade pass through his heart. Yet…

"I'm alive?" Shirou asked himself as he looked at his chest. His clothes were torn and blood stained both his shirt and chest, but otherwise there was no wound. "How?" He then looked beside him to see an amulet with a red jewel in the center and picked it up. _"Did this save me?"_ Shirou then shook his head before stuffing the thing into his pocket. The fact remained that he had been attacked by a Servant. And that his own home and the people he cared about might be next on the Servant's chopping block. With that in mind, Shirou raced down the streets of Fuyuki to his home. Not stopping for anything but thinking, _"I have to get there! I won't let Maiya-san die because of me!" _

In a few moments, he reached his house and saw that the lights were on. Good, that meant that Maiya was home. Shirou then _threw _the door open and ran into the kitchen to see Maiya warming herself up some dinner.

"Shirou? What happened to you? Where have you…?" Maiya demanded until Shirou grabbed both of her arms.

"We have to get out of here Maiya-san! I-I stumbled onto a Servant battle and…!" Shirou began before Maiya's eyes widened in shock. She then grabbed Shirou and threw them both to the side as numerous swords burst from the window and impaled numerous spots in the kitchen. _"Crap! He's here already?"_

"Try to make this easier on both of us kid." Avenger said as he stepped into the kitchen, the swords all disappearing into dark blue sparks of light with each step he took. "Just stand still and I'll make this as painless as possible."

"Shirou, run. Go to the shed and gather all the weapons you can to defend yourself." Maiya ordered, making Shirou look at her wide-eyed.

"B-but…!" Shirou protested until Maiya _glared_ at him. She would not change her mind about this decision no matter what he did. Shirou let out a gulp before nodding and turning tail towards the back door. "I'll be back soon!"

"Look lady, get out of the way and I won't cut you down." Avenger informed Maiya, who just shifted her feet a bit as if she were actually _preparing_ to fight him. Avenger had no idea who this woman was, revealing yet again that he was not in his original world. Avenger then sighed before Konshou and Bakuya appeared into his hands once more. "Suit yourself." Avenger then shot forward, fully intent on slicing Maiya's neck open.

Maiya's eyes narrowed as the Servant closed in on her. She should have expected for Angra Mainyu to schedule the fifth war early after she and Kiritsugu made sure that one could not happen after the sixty-year mark. The source of all evil would not just sit back and let its last chance of being free slip through its fingers. And Shirou was now dragged into the conflict his father had fought in. And it was her duty, Kiritsugu's final order to her, to defend him with all her strength.

And her tool would be Kiritsugu's final gift to her.

As the blades closed in, Maiya internally thought, _"Time Alter: Double Accel!" _Time then slowed down for Maiya, allowing her to run past Avenger and open a cabinet in the kitchen to reveal her old Calico M950 (Which she kept in the kitchen just in case a certain Magus heiress decided to drop in with less than favorable intentions.). Time then reverted to normal as she aimed the submachine gun at Avenger, whose eyes just widened at her sudden disappearance and subsequent reappearance. She then fired at the Servant, who ran around the room in order to avoid her shots.

_"Who the Hell is this woman?"_ Avenger asked himself as Maiya continued to fire at him. _"And what was with that magic before?" _His eyes then narrowed as the bullets stopped before thinking, _"No, she's just tryng to buy that idiot time. I have to get to him now!" _Avenger then suddenly changed direction and crashed through the back window. Shaking off the glass shards, he saw Shirou just a few feet away from the shed's entrance before throwing Bakuya at the fleeing boy.

"GAH!" Shirou shouted as the black Chinese scimitar put a deep gash in his left arm, making him crash through the shed's door and land onto the floor. He could see the Servant getting back up and calmly walking towards him with the white sword in his right hand. _"This can't be it…"_ Shirou thought as the blood from his wound flowed onto the floor._ "I still haven't become a protector of justice yet!"_

"I would like to say I'm sorry about this in advance kid." Avenger said as he raised Konshou.

_"No… I don't want to die yet…"_ Shirou thought to himself as Kiritsugu's overjoyed face appeared into his mind. _"I want to live!" _

Suddenly, the blood flowed into the form of a strange circle in front of him before giving off a crimson glow. "No way…" Avenger muttered to himself as steam rose from the circle. Then, an invisible sword burst through the smoke and batted him outside of the shed with tremendous force. _"She's here…"_

Shirou watched with awe as the smoke cleared, revealing a teenage girl around his age with blonde hair tied into a bun and an ahoge sticking out from the top of her head. She wore a blue dress that seemed to be designed for battle along with silver armor that gleamed in the moonlight.

Saber, known through life as King Arthur and Arturia Pendragon, opened her green eyes and looked at the boy in front of her before saying, "Upon your summons I, the Servant Saber, have appeared."

"I ask of you, are you my Master?"

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"Yo! The Taiga Dojo has now begun!" Taiga yelled while Illyasviel nodded happily. "I'm glad to see you all again and…"

"Man, one whole chapter without us around! I wonder if the fans just left this chap after realizing we wouldn't be in it at all!" Wade shouted as he walked into the dojo with Kirei next to him.

"Well I suppose that he wished to solely devote this whole thing to the suicidal superhero-wannabe instead." Kirei then sighed as he shook his head. "And that Lancer Vs. Archer fight was a bit _lacking."_

"What are you two doing here?" Illyasviel shouted, making Wade and Kirei turn to her.

"Oh look, it's the loli bait and ADD teach." Wade said before turning to the 'screen'. "Well, people will get bored of this fic unless they get their daily dose of our commentary!"

"We are essential for comedic relief, until Assassin gets a bigger role next chapter or a chapter after that. TIM is still working on that." Kirei informed the two before looking at the 'screen' as well. "Unless his work becomes too much for him, in which case this might be the last chapter before a 'small' haitus."

"What!?" Taiga screeched, making Illyasviel sweat until she turned to the 'screen'.

"Stay tuned for the next chapter 'The Saber Night'!" Illyasviel yelled before Taiga burst into tears muttering 'Why? Why?'

"Thank you TIM for another Batman reference!" Wade shouted before taking out a small DVD case that read 'The Dark Knight Rises'. "Now excuse us why we practice the ancient art of bootlegging!"

"I thought we were going to read how you killed the Marvel Universe first?" Kirei questioned before Wade waved his finger at him.

"Nah, that would give these fanfiction nerds spoilers! Also, that version of me is fucking psychotic. Even by my standards." Wade then sighed before turning to the 'screen' once more. "Till next time suckers!"

**Note-**** Yo! Glad I got this third chapter off of my chest before my work became overwhelming! My important classes _really_ begin tomorrow, so my time to fanfiction could possibly now be limited. But fear not! This fic _will_ continue no matter what! **

**Also tell me what you think of the altered Shirou! He's a much better Magus (However you won't see him dishing out any true combat spells) than in canon and is also skilled in hand-to-hand combat and firearms! But before you start complaining how he got his ass handed to him by Avenger think about it for a second. He was fighting a _Servant_, not even prepared to do so in the first place. He was caught by surprise, nothing more.**

**Also, in the spirit of the final issue of 'Deadpool KILLS The Marvel Universe' I'm issuing a new challenge that is titled 'Kotomine Kirei KILLS The Nasuverse'! After Fate:Zero Sense Kirei died in his battle with Kiritsugu, he sent his memories and knowledge of the Fourth Wall to canon Kirei during the events of Fate/Stay Night! Driven crazy(er) by this knowledge, Kirei sets out to utterly destroy the Nasuverse one character at a time! Heroes, villains, and even civilians of the Nasuverse are not safe from the mad priest's mission. And during all the chaos, a fellow survivor of the Fourth Holy Grail War sets out to stop the madness once and for all…**

**You will never see you (un)favorite priest in the same light again! PM me if you are interested! **

**And give me your opinions in a review! Tell me what you thought of the chapter, give me constructive criticism of how I can improve, and tell me if I handled the characters alright! Give your fingers a workout and tell me how I did!**

**…Please? **


	4. The Saber Knight

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here. **

Shirou stared at the petite woman in front of him in shock. He had no idea what had just happened. After that Servant was getting ready to kill him, he only wished to live. And somehow because of that this Servant, the _Saber_ class of all things, had pushed back his would-be (Or is it one-time) murderer, and asked if he was his Master. Shirou looked at his right hand to see if he had gotten the Command Seals there like Kiritsugu, only to find nothing. He then gulped in nervousness before glancing at his left hand to see three separate blood red markings that made the distinct shape of a sword. _"I-I guess I really am her Master…" _ Shirou thought to himself as he looked back at Saber.

Saber did not know what to think about the boy in front of her. He was obviously shocked about her appearance, which meant that this was an uncommon summoning. She could not feel much Prana flowing to her from the boy, however there was a _slight_ strand of it connecting to her. _"This will make things difficult…"_ Saber thought to herself before seeing the Command Seals on his left hand rather than his right like… _that_ man. "Your Command Seals show the contract between us. As such, I shall be your sword and bring us victory Master." She said formally before glancing behind her. The enemy Servant that she had pushed away was getting back up. "We shall discuss this more once I deal with the enemy."

"W-wait!" Shirou cried out before Saber launched out of the shed, not even hearing him as she brought down her invisible blade on Avenger, who parried it away with Konshou.

"Damn!" Avenger shouted as he jumped back and had Bakuya appear in his left hand once more. He then launched himself forward and brought down the two swords onto Saber's, sparks flying in between them. However, it was obvious that Saber was going to win this test of strength. The ground beneath Avenger's feet was buckling, and beads of sweat were forming on Avenger's brow. Saber then pushed Avenger back, making him skid onto the ground. _"Still as strong as you were back then Saber…"_ Avenger thought as he glared at Saber, who looked back at him coldly. _"Heh, and still as adorable as ever…"_

"State your class Servant." Saber demanded as she narrowed her eyes at Avenger. "Despite the rules of this war, I would wish to know the class of my opponent."

"..." Avenger stayed silent for a moment in thought. _"Should I tell them? Oh what the Hell. It will probably throw them into a loop."_ "I'm Avenger."

"Avenger?" Saber repeated, the strange class name rolling off of her tongue as she tried to recall any knowledge of such a class. "That is not any class I am familiar with, nor is it supposed to be in this war!"

"Heh, can't tell you why I'm Avenger, I just am." Avenger said before throwing both Konshou and Bakuya into the air. As the blades sliced through the night sky, two more appeared in his hands as he charged towards Saber once more. He brought down Bakuya onto her invisible blade, which she blocked without trouble. However, Avenger twisted his body and swung Kaonshou towards her head. Saber barely managed to duck her head before the blade sliced off part of her ahoge. Avenger then jumped back as the Bakuya and Konshou he threw earlier began to fly towards Saber.

_"What? A trap?"_ Saber thought to herself as her eyes widened in shock. The blades drew closer and closer, shaking Saber out of her thoughts as she readied herself to parry away the blades. However, a white blur appeared in front of Saber and knocked away the blades. As they stabbed into the ground, Saber got a good look at the one who did it. It was a young girl in her teenage years with dull blue hair wearing a form fitting white suit while wielding a red spear. So similar to… "Lancer?"

"That is indeed my class Servant Saber." Lancer replied in a monotone voice as she turned to her. Saber tensed at the girl's empty expression and blood red eyes as Lancer looked over her shoulder and prepared for battle. "My Master has given me orders to protect that boy…" She motioned to Shirou at this, whose eyes widened in response. One of the girls asked their own Servant to protect him? It was probably Luvia who sent her then… "…from the enemy Servant. As you are his Servant, I shall assist you until I receive orders from Master telling me otherwise."

"Hm…" Saber muttered to herself as she let a small smile form on her face. Although the Servant was a bit disturbing with how she allowed no emotion to show on her face or eyes, her devotion to her Master was remarkable. "Very well Lancer, I thank you for your assistance." She then turned around to Avenger, who tensed at this recent development. "Now then Avenger, prepare yourself."

Avenger glared at the two Servants in front of him. Saber he could handle on his own, although it would take some time. However Lancer was now assisting her, and he had no idea what Noble Phantasms the 'fake' Heroic Spirit has. _"Well, I know she has at least one more than that lance. But I don't want the world to end anytime soon…"_ Avenger thought to himself before making his swords disappear from his hands, confusing Saber and only making Lancer blink in what was probably surprise. _"Besides, Bazette will probably figure out I'm gone again soon and Command Seal my ass back to her." _"Sorry, but we'll have to finish this up some other time." Avenger then disappeared from view, making Saber scowl in anger while Lancer simply relaxed her stance.

"He fled rather than face us with the honor of a Heroic Spirit. The coward…" Saber muttered to herself before glancing back at Shirou, who was still looking at her with shock. "Are you well Master?"

"I-I'm fine…" Shirou muttered as he touched the gash on his left arm. He winced in pain before telling Saber, "I'll heal this soon…"

"Shirou!" A new voice called out, drawing their attention to the now open back door to see Luvia. She stared at him and Saber in shock before muttering, "You're a Master…?"

*Click* The clocking of a gun and the feeling of something pressing to the back of her head froze Luvia in place. "D-don't move…" Gasped out Maiya as she weakly pressed the Glock to Luvia's head with her right hand while clutching her chest with the left. "I-If you so much as…" Maiya then cried out in pain before dropping to her knees, releasing the gun from her grip and clutching her chest with both her hands.

"MAIYA-SAN!" Shirou yelled before running past a shocked looking Saber, a stoic Lancer, and a justifiably frightened Luvia to the downed Maiya.

"Maiya?" Saber muttered with wide eyes as she stared at the, now older, assistant of Kiritsugu.

Who the Hell was the boy that just summoned her?

**_Later:_**

"Should have… known using Time Alter would… do something like this…" Maiya muttered as she laid in her futon, a glowing healing array under her with Shirou kneeling by her side. "Kiritsugu warned me that… the use of his Code… would cause stress on my body…"

"Why would he give you something like this Maiya-san?" Shirou questioned as he looked at the woman with a worried expression on his face. He had brought Maiya to her room after confirming that Luvia was not there to attack him. She kept wincing in pain, gasping for air, and he _felt_ her heartbeat. It was like the thing was going a mile a minute! He had drawn the array on the floor before setting Maiya down and healing his own arm.

It was a miracle that she had not gotten a heart attack.

"T-to protect you Shirou…" Maiya muttered as she looked at the boy. "Kiritsugu made… many enemies… He wanted me to protect you when he was go-." Maiya then grimaced in pain, worrying Shirou even more. "D-don't worry for me Shirou. I'll just need some time to… rest and recover… I'll be fine tomorrow morning…"

"Maiya-san…" He muttered before someone knocked on the door. It then slid opened to reveal Luvia with a sullen expression on her face. "Luvia?"

"Shirou…" Luvia muttered as she looked at the object of her affections, and now fellow Master, before looking at Maiya. "Will she be…"

"I will live Edelfelt…" Maiya muttered while looking at the girl with a small glare. "Why are you here?"

Luvia looked away before stuttering out, "I-I have repaired the damages that Servant caused to your home. I would have waited for Shirou to do so, but I wanted to help him since he is assisting you with your recovery. Lancer and Saber are waiting outside."

"Thanks Luvia." Shirou muttered out as he turned his attention back to Maiya.

"S-Shirou…" Shirou looked back at Maiya, who had her head drooped down which blocked her eyes from view. "I-I'm sorry… I've gotten you involved in this…" A tear from Luvia's eyes fell onto the floor, shocking Shirou. "I-If I hadn't challenged Tohsaka, then you would not have seen us. You wouldn't have become a target for that Servant, a-and you wouldn't have to have…"

"H-hey! Don't cry!" Shirou shouted, making Luvia look at the boy with shock. "It's not your fault Luvia! I should have finished work earlier that that, but what's done is done. Anyway, if it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't be here right now!"

"Shirou…" Luvia muttered, joy filling her eyes as she looked at him. She _should_ mention that it was Tohsaka that saved him, but such details were unnecessary. _"He's so kind…"_ "Shirou, I want to make a proposition…"

"What is it Edelfelt?" Maiya asked, making Luvia shift her feet a bit. Even if the woman was bedridden for the time being, she got an impending sense of _danger_ from her.

_"Come on, say it! This is probably your only chance to truly get to know him!"_ Luvia thought to herself before taking a deep breath and saying, "It would be counterproductive to be enemies since we live so close to one another, and I have no desire to fight you. So I wish to propose an alliance."

"An alliance?" Shirou repeated with shock. But he could understand her reasoning as to wanting to form such an alliance. Besides, he did not want to fight her either.

"Yes. We will share information about the other Masters of the Holy Grail War, and send our Servants to provide assistance to one another should they need it." Luvia repeated, making Shirou nod in agreement. Sounded reasonable.

"Okay." He replied, making Luvia mentally give out a little girly squeal of delight. "I'm glad we can be allies in this Luvia!" He gave Luvia a friendly smile, making Luvia's cheeks redden. "Huh? You okay?"

"Y-Yes I am…" Luvia whispered before beginning to walk out of the room with shaky legs. "I-I'll see you tomorrow at school…" _"YES! Soon Shirou, we shall be closer than ever before! Take THAT Matou!" _

Meanwhile in the Matou Manor, Sakura sneezed in her sleep before returning back to dreamland where Shirou was bathing her in chocolate.

Luvia then walked out of the room to see Saber and Lancer staring each other down. Beads of sweat were forming on Saber's brow while Lancer looked relatively fine. "Lancer, let us go."

"Yes Master." Lancer muttered before dissipating from view. Luvia smiled at Saber before saying, "Now Saber, me and your Master have agreed to form an alliance that shall be beneficial for the both of us. I shall return tomorrow so that we may discuss our course of action for this war."

Saber narrowed her eyes at the Master of Lancer with suspicion. While the alliance would be beneficial for her Master, especially with the mysterious Servant Avenger out for his blood, the girl was still a Master. She could be hoping to manipulate her Master, but if that were the case then Saber would defend him with her life. "Very well. I trust my Master's judgment." Saber then left the hallway and entered the room, making Luvia smile.

_"I suppose I should thank that tramp Tohsaka later for allowing me to check on Shirou in her steed. Without her, I would have never gotten a chance to be so close to Shirou! Ohohoho!"_ Luvia mentally laughed as she left the Emiya residence to her own home.

In the Tohsaka Manor, Rin sneezed before turning around and looking out her window. She couldn't sleep. And it was NOT because she was worried about that red haired idiot!

"Ah, Saber!" Shirou shouted in surprise as Saber entered the room. "What are you…?"

"Where is Kiritsugu Maiya?" Saber growled out in a low, dangerous tone to the downed woman.

"…dead. He's been dead for five years." Maiya replied, making Shirou look back and forth at them in shock.

"Wait, you're the Servant Kiritsugu summoned?" Shirou questioned before looking at Maiya with confusion written on his face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow…." Maiya spoke before closing her eyes. "For now, go to sleep Shirou. Unless you have forgotten, tonight is a school night. And I shall not tolerate you being late or skipping on your education."

"Crap…" Shirou muttered while drooping his own head. "Is there anything you want?"

"No. Now go rest." Maiya replied, making Shirou stand up and begin heading out the door. As he walked to his room, he looked down at his left hand that still held all three of the Command Seals while thinking, _"Maiya-san got hurt because of me. Because I was so damn careless and did not think that the Servant would actually stick around to make sure I was dead." _He then opened the door to his room and began to shed his now bloody and torn school uniform, throwing the articles of clothing into the hamper for later repair. _"Now, I've put her in even greater danger because I'm now a participant. How can I be a protector of justice if I just keep putting people in danger?"_ Shirou then plopped into his own bed before closing his eyes. _"I just hope Luvia can help me ou-." _Shirou's thought process stopped as the bed shifted a bit, making him open his eyes to see Saber's looking into his. "W-what are you doing!?" Shirou shouted in surprise as he moved himself against the wall, staring at Saber with shock.

"As a Servant, I must always be at your side to defend you at a moment's notice Master." Saber replied calmly while lifting herself into a sitting position and looking at Shirou. "The summoning was uncommon, and I cannot turn to my astral form as I should. Thus, this is the most efficient method of defending you while you sleep."

"B-but you're a girl! It's improper for a man and a woman to be on the same bed!" Shirou protested while pointing at Saber.

"I am your sword Master, nothing more." Saber replied automatically while staring at Shirou, her eyes narrowing a bit.

Shirou gulped as _that_ look entered Saber's eyes. It was that same look that Maiya had whenever she was finalizing an argument, or forcing the sweet store to give her the last piece of cake despite the customer before her ordering it. She would not change her stance on the argument. And _bad_ things would happen to whoever protested against her. "O-okay…" Shirou said with a sigh as he looked at Saber. "But stop calling me Master. It's kinda weird. Just call me Shirou, okay?"

"…" Saber stared at the boy in silence before a small smile formed on her lips. It seems like her current Master would be much more enjoyable than Kiritsugu. "Very well Shirou."

Shirou then scooted over to the edge of his bed and turned to the side, making his back face Saber while she laid on his bed and closed her eyes.

_"Crap. How can I go to sleep in this kind of situation?" _Shirou asked himself as he looked at the wall in front of his face with a nervous expression on it.

Poor bastard didn't even _know_ his own luck.

**_Elsewhere (Bazette's Apartment):_**

Bazette paced back and forth in her apartment deep in thought while Avenger just sat in his chair sipping tea. The Servant had arrived moments before she could so much as _think_ of using a second Command Seal to force him back to her side. _"This is going to be a problem…"_ Bazette thought to herself with a scowl forming on her face. _"Avenger has been going off to do his own thing twice now without even coming to me for approval of his actions. How can I control a Servant who will just trust his own judgment and not even listen to his Master's?"_ Bazette glanced at her left hand, which now held only two Command Seals. _"I could use a Command Seal to restrict his movements, but it might hurt me in the long run. I have to be smart with how I use them from now on…" _

"Thinking about something Master?" Avenger asked while sipping his tea, making Bazette turn to her Servant with her brows furrowed with anger.

"Why didn't you seek my approval with your course of action with the civilian Avenger?" Bazette asked, only for Avenger to shrug his shoulders.

"I thought it wouldn't have mattered. After all, it is your duty as a Master to keep the Holy Grail War secret from the general public by any means necessary."

"I was just going to implant false memories in him so that he would forget what he saw, nothing more. There was no reason for you to kill him." Bazette told Avenger, who just shook his head.

"Couldn't kill him. Those two from earlier healed him, so I went after him to finish the job. Now he's the Master of Saber." Avenger then looked Bazette in the eyes before continuing. "I also know his identity. It is Emiya Shirou."

"Emiya Shirou…" Bazette muttered before her eyes widened in recognition. "Y-you mean he's a relative of the Magus Killer?" This could be troublesome. If this Emiya was anything like Emiya Kiritsugu, then the war now had a truly dangerous player. _"And I shall have someone who can actually pose a threat to me. The Tohsaka head and the Edelfelt heir are jokes, and the Matou heir still hasn't shown their face yet. Although I will probably still have to watch out for the Einzbern contender. No telling which Servant they summoned this time…" _Bazette then calmed down before saying, "Good. At least your little 'errand' helped us identify one of the Masters."

"I also know the identities of Archer and Lancer." Avenger informed Bazette, making her eyes widen even more in shock. He _could_ tell her the identity of Saber, but decided against it. He could handle her with little trouble. The x-factors of this war had to be taken out first, and this revelation might just motivate Bazette. "Archer is Train Heartnet from the series Black Cat and Lancer is Rei Ayanami."

"… who is Rei Ayanami?" Bazette asked, making Avenger give her a 'how can you not know this' look. This made her lightly blush in embarrassment.

"Rei Ayanami is from the series 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'. It's a popular anime here in Japan." Archer explained calmly to Bazette. _"Of course. She's a magus, so she shouldn't know much about modern media." _

"Never heard of the series. Do you mean the movie Neo?" Bazette asked, making Avenger frown at the name. "Well, I will research this information tomorrow. Until then, I am going to bed." Bazette then left the Servant alone.

"…What the Hell is Neo?" Avenger asked himself, only to receive no answers from the now empty room.

**_The Next Morning (Streets Of Fuyuki):_**

"Come on Shinji-kun! It's your day off and I'm hungry for Shirou-kun and Sakura-chan's cooking!" Taiga shouted as she dragged Shinji with her by the arm, almost _tearing_ the thing off of the poor man who just smiled weakly to his long-time girlfriend.

"I'm sure they won't mind us being a bit late Taiga-chan. Besides, their kids. They shouldn't have to go out of their way to cook food for us." Shinji told her, making Taiga frown a bit. "Besides, I could always cook…."

"OH HELL NO!" Taiga yelled back as they turned the corner to the Emiya Residence. "It's your day off, so no work of _any _kind for you! I want you at full energy for tonight!" She then grinned at Shinji, and the man literally _swore_ he saw the face of an actual tiger behind her. "And I've got lots and _lots_ planned for tonight!"

Shinji sighed at his girlfriend's enthusiasm. She hadn't changed a bit since he first met her when joining Hamurahara Gakuren. So full of energy, so outgoing, and so damn playful and enjoyable to be around as opposed to the fiery redhead that he had once know.

Maybe those were the reasons why he loved her so much.

The years had been relatively peaceful for Shinji since the Fourth Holy Grail War. He lived a quiet life with Sola, who now had the fake name Shirley Ikari, and had adjusted fairly well with school life. It wasn't until he met Taiga that he actually began to _enjoy_ his new life. He hung out with her and she introduced him to his now best friends Ryuudou Reikan and Hotaruzuka Otoko. He and Taiga had been in a healthy relationship for five years (even though for some reason Sola didn't seem to be happy when Taiga was around) and Shinji had often contemplated on asking Taiga if they wanted to be _more_ than boyfriend and girlfriend.

The arrival of Waver Velvet however had put those plans in the backburner. Waver would not have returned to Fuyuki for nothing, and last night Shinji _thought_ that he felt the energy of a Servant… _"No, it's impossible. The Holy Grail War cannot happen for another fifty years."_ Shinji thought to himself as Taiga opened the door to the residence. As they went to the kitchen, he continued to dissuade himself. _"It's impossible for any Servant to…"_

"Shirou-kun? Who is this woman?"

Taiga's voice snapped Shinji out of his thoughts. And he found himself staring at Saber, who for all intents and purposes _should not be here_, nor should she look like she had not aged a day since the last Holy Grail War.

Sometimes, Shinji really believed that God utterly _loved_ fucking his life over.

**_A Few Minutes Later (Kitchen Table):_**

"Um, uh…" Shirou stammered as he sat down near the table, Saber to his right side while Taiga and Shinji sat down opposite to them. Sakura kept setting out the plates full of western-style breakfast foods with the same cheerful smile on her face. However, it became a bit strained whenever she glanced at Saber. _"Crap! I still hadn't thought up an excuse for Saber being here!" _Shirou wailed in his mind before saying, "This is Saber..." _"Oh yeah, REAL smart Emiya. Who the Hell has Saber for a name?" _S-she's…"

"I'm an acquaintance of Kiritsugu from Brittan." Saber responded automatically, making Taiga frown and Shirou give a mental sigh of relief. Saber then looked at Shinji and narrowed her eyes. Despite the man's age, voice, and facial hair telling her otherwise she _knew_ he saw him before. _"But that's impossible."_ Saber thought with a frown forming on her lips. _"I have only been in this era for the Fourth Holy Grail War, and have only truly met other Servants and a few Masters." _

Before Taiga could protest, Shinji spoke up asking, "Shirou, where's Maiya-san? She is usually here before we are."

"S-she's sick." Shirou stuttered out with a bead of sweat forming on the back of his neck. While Taiga absolutely _loved_ to grill him for answers concerning what he usually did, Shinji usually tried to change the topic so that he could be spared of her wrath. "She'll be better soon, so don't worry. I'll bring her some breakfast later."

"Hey! Don't change the topic Shinji-kun!" Taiga yelled as she glared at Shirou with her teeth bared and growled out, "I know you're lying to me Shirou! This is _way_ too convenient!

"N-now Taiga-chan, let's calm down…." Shinji said weakly as Sakura sat down beside him. "W-why don't we eat first? Sakura's done setting everything…" It didn't seem to deter Taiga practically interrogating Shirou for answers, making Shinji sigh in despair while Sakura looked worriedly at Shirou.

Well, at least Saber didn't recognize him. And things couldn't _possibly_ get any worse than they were now…

At this moment, Shinji got the impending sense that fate would give him the one-man salute once again.

**_In A 'Secret' Location (Above The Table):_**

_"Heh, like I would actually stay in that damn place. Way too dreary for a big star like me." _Assassin thought to himself as he stood on the ceiling above the table in his astral form, looking down on all its occupants with a huge grin on his face. He had followed Sakura to her 'Sempai's' house undetected (Like the great assassin he was!) and as luck would have it, that guy also had a Servant! Not only that, but the guy with the goatee was giving off a _bit_ more Prana than a regular human _should_ be giving out. _"Maybe he's a Servant too. In that case, it's two Servants versus me. Just what I like!"_

"_Tsubaki: Kusarigama Mode_." Assassin thought before his Noble Phantasm appeared in both of his hands. It was a double-edged, double-pointed chain scythe with yellow handles and a long metal chain connecting to each. _"Assassin's Rule Number One: Silence. Dissolve in the darkness and erase your breath. Assassin's Rule Number Two: Transposition Thinking. Analyze the target to predict their thoughts and movements…" _Assassin eyes both Saber and Shinji who were looking at the 'questioning' of Taiga. _"Assassin's Rule Number Three: Speed. Take out the target before the target notices your presence." _Assassin grinned as he went to his physical form before saying, "Let's go!" He then jumped towards the table, the chains clinking as he flipped in the air.

"GHHAAAAAA!" A loud shout disturbed all the occupants of the room, and a large object landed on the table right between Taiga and Shirou. As food flew everywhere, everyone got a good look at the one who had caused it all.

_"Assassin?"_ Sakura thought in both shock and horror as her Servant calmly stood up, took a deep breath, and…

"I'M THE ASSASSIN OF THE HOLY GRAIL WAR, BLACK*STAR!" Assassin yelled as he used his own weapon as a faux microphone. "AND I'VE COME TO ASSASSINATE YOU ALL! YAHOOO!"

Everyone looked at him with faces that showed various degrees of utter shock and bafflement. Assassin looked around with an utterly pleased expression on his face while Sakura felt like crying.

Why did Sakura feel like she was not the only one to have a Servant like this?

Elsewhere in Fuyuki, Waver Velvet sneezed into his morning coffee.

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake: ****It's A Real Thing! Taiga BLACK*STAR Dojo Preview!**

"What the Hell happened to my Dojo!?" Taiga shouted in despair as she looked around the dojo, which was covered in graffiti which said the exact same thing: Black*Star.

"What happened to my shirt?" Illyasviel questioned as she looked at her white shirt, which now had the exact same signature on it.

"Gahaha!" Assassin laughed as he walked into the room. "Well, the readers were obviously drawn to how big of a star I was in this chapter. So I'm just giving them what they want!"

"You fool! This is MY Dojo Preview!" Taiga shouted as she took out her Boukuto. "Prepare yourself for the wrath of Fujimura Taiga!"

"Try it! I'll come out on top like always!" Assassin shouted back as _Tsubaki_ appeared in both of his hands and the two quickly went to battle.

"Stay tuned for the next chapter 'Fast Times At Hamurahara High'!" Illyasviel yelled as the dojo began to tear itself apart from the battle between Assassin and Taiga.

"CHECK IT OUT!" Both of them shouted at the same time before fighting again.

**Omake-**** Different Servants: Assassin**

Matou Sakura blinked as she looked at the Servant she summoned. Or _Servants_, since she apparently summoned more than one. Neither of which could possibly be Medusa the Gorgon. One had poofy brown hair and mean looking eyes while wearing a red short-sleeved jacket, a white shirt, brown shorts, and steel-bottomed Getta sandals. Hanging from his back was a katana that had two horns pointing up the blade as the guard. The other was a man with black hair tied neatly into a ponytail, a pale skin, closed eyes, and wore square-framed glasses. He also wore formal blue samurai robes and had a katana strapped to his left hip.

They were both like fire and water in Sakura's eyes.

"So, we got a chick for a Master?" The first one spoke, making Sakura blink. Well, his voice definitely matched his eyes.

"It should be obvious even to you. She has our Command Seals after all, and the boy behind her looks too spineless to have done it." The samurai informed the man, making Shinji glare at both of them.

"Now listen here…!" Shinji began before the first man unsheathed his katana and aimed it at Shinji's throat.

"Quiet brat, the grownups are talkin' here." The man then looked at the samurai. "Well, at least she has bigger tits than Fu."

Sakura blushed in embarrassment while the Samurai just sighed in response. "Why I was summoned with you as Assassin I will never know…"

And thus began the somewhat awkward partnership between Assassin(s?), once known through life as Mugen and Jin, and their Master Sakura.

Saber would later throw a fit towards Assassin/Mugen 'bastardizing the honored art of swordsmanship'.

His response towards her being a 'tit-less bitch' would… not end well for him. But that is a story for another time.

**Note-**** Yo! Glad I can squeeze this chapter out despite my now even busier schedule and numerous classes! I'm sorry that the fights so far seem sub-par to you guys, but remember that the REAL fighting kicks off soon! In fact, it will start next chapter with Assassin Vs. Saber and _Shinji_! So please guys, bear with me and be patient. Plus, these chapters are supposed to build Shirou's character so if a LOT of his life seems to be eating up this fic do not worry. We will see Waver's POV soon. **

**Also if you do not know my alternate Assassin(s?) Mugen and Jin, then you need to watch more anime. They are from Samurai Champloo, and it is practically the Cowboy Bebop of hip-hop. It has humor, action, drama, engaging characters with even more engaging pasts, and EXTREME historical in-accuracy of Edo-Period Japan! I highly recommend that everyone checks it out! This wonderful Anime that deserves more attention than what it is getting! **

**Also review! Reviews help my muse, and they point out whatever flaws I make. So please, tell me if I'm keeping the characters IC and leave suggestions! So get your fingers into gear and review!**

**…Please? **


	5. Fast Times At Hamurahara High

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Everyone stayed silent as the looked at the blue-haired boy who called himself 'Black*Star'. Before the 'questioning' was really going downhill for Shirou, and he was running out of excuses to tell Taiga. In fact, she was about to ask Saber about her true affiliation with Kiritsugu before the boy interrupted the whole thing.

Shirou did not know whether to be overjoyed or frightened that this 'Black*Star, no, _Assassin,_ dropped in and interrupted everything.

Saber did not waste a second and quickly materialized Excalibur, hidden by Invisible Wind, into her hand and swung it at Assassin, who dropped the scythe in his left hand and gripped the chain in order to block the blow. Assassin grinned as sparks flew between them before shouting, "Heh, so I guess your Saber huh?" Assassin then pushed the blade away before pulling on the chain, making the second scythe fly towards Saber's neck. Her eyes widened in shock as she ducked the blade at the very last second, only for Assassin to catch it by the handle once more and kick Saber in the chest. Saber gasped in surprise as she was flung off the table and hit the wall, creating a web of cracks due to the force of the blow. "Great! Now I get the show just how big of a guy I am…" Assassin then flung himself off of the table, the chains clinking in the air as he prepared to slice both scythes through Saber's armor and into her body. "…By taking out the 'strongest' Serva-!" Assassin then slammed face-first into a multi-colored hexagonal shield, making him groan in pain as he slowly slid off.

"W-wha…?" Taiga muttered to herself as she looked at the whole scene with shock written on her face. She was only moments away from getting the truth about 'Saber' out of Shirou before the loudmouth kid holding a _very_ dangerous weapon dropped in. She had originally thought it was just a trick Shirou had set up to surprise her, but now the boy and 'Saber' were trying there hardest to _kill_ each other! Then suddenly, Shinji raised his hand towards Saber and the boy before an honest to God _shield_ appeared! "…Shinji-kun?"

"Taiga, I…" Shinji began before Assassin's foot met his jaw, propelling the man away several feet.

"Hah, you thought that little shield could take me down huh?" Assassin asked cockily before jumping back, being sure to keep both the recovering Saber and Shinji in his vision. "Well that trick won't work against a big guy like me!"

"Damn…" Shinji muttered as he rolled his jaw a bit before the _Lance_ _of Longinus_ appeared in his hand for the first time in ten years.

Saber lifted herself from the wall and shook her head to get the fuzziness out of her vision. This Assassin was definitely more powerful than the Assassin from the last war. And him having a chain scythe for his weapon of choice could cause some problems since she was unfamiliar with how the weapon worked. _"How could someone like this be an Assassin?"_ Saber thought to herself with annoyance as she blinked the last remnants of blurriness out of her vision before her eyes widened in shock. The man, who introduced himself as Shinji and looked so familiar to her was now wielding the same spear as Lancer. Now, he looked familiar to her. Shave off the goatee and shrink him by a couple inches, and he would be the splitting image of the Lancer from the last war. "Lancer? How could you remain on this world if the last war passed?" Saber asked, seeing how 'Shinji' was wincing she could tell he obviously did _not_want her to recognize him.

"Now's not really the time to be asking that Saber!" Shinji yelled before swatting away one of Assassin's scythes, making it imbed into a wall.

"You bastard, don't think you can just ignore me!" Assassin yelled before pulling on his chain, making the imbedded scythe come out of the wall in a burst of wood and fly towards Shinji again. Shinji quickly parried the blade while Saber rushed forward to the Servant, who blocked her swing with the scythe held in his left hand.

"Perhaps, but we shall discuss this once we finish with Assassin!" Saber yelled before, in an impressive show of strength, shoved Assassin back, making him go through the back door and into the backyard. Both she and Shinji did quickly followed him outside, leaving Shirou, Taiga, and Sakura alone in the now wrecked kitchen area.

"S-S-SHIROU!" Taiga yelled as she pointed at Shirou. "W-W-WHAT WAS THAT!? How come that woman was swinging around nothing but _air_!? Who was tha-?" Taiga's rant was cut off by a hand-chop to the neck, making her close her eyes and fall into the blissful embrace of unconsciousness.

"M-Maiya-san!" Shirou yelled in surprise to see Maiya in jeans and a black turtleneck sweatshirt with an annoyed expression on her face.

"The fight woke me up Shirou." Maiya said simply, making Shirou face-palm himself. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up that she would sleep through this. Maiya then narrowed her eyes at Sakura, who fidgeted around a bit. "Now then Matou-san…" Before Shirou could blink, Maiya had a Glock's barrel directly touching Sakura's forehead. "…would Assassin happen to be your Servant?"

"Maiya-san, stop!" Shirou shouted, pushing Maiya's gun away from a shocked Sakura and standing in front of her. "She wasn't expecting Assassin to do that either! I watched her the whole time! She is innocent!"

"Sempai…" Sakura muttered in amazement as Shirou defended her. She was so scared when Maiya pointed her gun at her. She thought that Maiya would kill her, but Shirou still defended her even with the possibility that she was an enemy Master. She swallowed hard before saying, "Y-yes. Assassin is my Servant…" She then saw both Shirou and Maiya look at her directly and knew she had a LOT to answer for.

Why oh why couldn't Assassin just stay at the Matou Manor than putting her in this position?

**_Back With The Servants:_**

"Tch!" Assassin quickly righted himself mid-air and landed on the ground, his shoes skidding on the dirt a bit as he looked at Saber and Shinji, who were preparing to fight him again. When he had introduced himself on his pseudo-stage, Assassin was hoping to take out Saber before dealing with the other one. But it looks like 'Shinji' had better reflexes than he had originally thought and they drove him outside. Oh well, being out in the open worked to his advantage anyways. "Knew I would have encountered some tough opponents in this war…" Assassin began before pointing the chain scythe in his right hand towards the sky. "But no matter _who_ you were, you'll never beat a big star like me! No hero can even hope to come close to my brightness! You got me!?"

"Your arrogance will be your undoing Assassin." Saber said simply with a scowl, only for Assassin to grin.

"Alright, time to get serious!" Assassin yelled as the chain scythe in his hands began to glow in a blinding light and shift into a different form, much to the shock of Saber and Shinji. It then turned into the form of a five-pointed star before the light disappeared, showing that the chain scythe had now become a giant, grey-colored five-pointed shuriken with three dark grooves along one side of each point and the other side being completely dark grey. "_Tsubaki: Shuriken Mode_!" Assassin yelled, holding the giant shuriken by the large hole in the middle.

_"A Noble Phantasm that can change forms?" _Saber thought in shock before Assassin threw the bladed projectile at them. The shuriken cut through the air in breakneck speeds before Shinji lifted his arm towards the shuriken.

"_A.T Field!"_ Shinji shouted, halting the giant shuriken's progress completely.

"Lancer!" Saber yelled, making Shinji's eyes widen with shock as he saw Assassin right in front of him.

_"Fast!"_ Shinji thought before Assassin kicked him in the solar plexus, making Shinji fly past Saber and land on the ground coughing.

Assassin did not halt his progress and quickly went for Saber as well. "Sorry to tell you, but hand to hand combat is something I'm good at." Assassin told her before jumping in the air to avoid Saber's swing. However, he twisted mid-air as Shinji's spear shot to where he originally was. But the strike did leave a small gash on his right side._"Damn, it's not my time yet…"_ Assassin thought with annoyance as he landed on the roof before jumping to where his shuriken still was. He then picked it up before it began to glow once more. It then transformed into a short sword that he held in a reverse grip in his right hand. "_Tsubaki: Ninja Sword Mode_!"

Saber and Shinji prepared themselves as Assassin became strangely quiet. _"He's planning something…"_ Shinji thought to himself before wincing in pain. His mid section still hurt from Assassin's attack, once again proving he was in an actual flesh and blood body rather than the one he was provided as a Servant that could mostly shrug off blows like that.

"Why did you attack us Assassin?" Saber questioned with a scowl forming on her face. "Who is your Master?"

Assassin did not provide an answer, making Saber frown in confusion. From what she could tell about Assassin's personality, he would have answered by now. Something was wrong. There was no way someone like Assassin could remain completely silent…

Suddenly, Assassin's body began to disintegrate into leaves, which scattered into the wind. Saber and Shinji's eyes widened as they heard fast paced footsteps _behind_ them, but before they could turn around Saber gasped in pain as Assassin both elbowed and punched her in the back. Electricity then began to course through her body and she felt the Prana she had in her body go haywire! _"Just what is this!?" _Saber thought in shock and pain.

"_Finishing Strike: Black*Star Big Wave_!" Assassin yelled as electricity then began to physically show outside of Saber's body, forcing Shinji back. Assassin then twisted his fist, making Saber shout in pain before she was launched several feet away. She then landed on the ground in a heap, trying but failing to get back up. "You're done…" Assassin said simply before the chain scythe appeared in his hands again and faced Shinji. "Now it's you-"

"_Lance of Longinus."_ A quiet voice that was definitely _not_ Shinji's declared, making Assassin jump back as a spear similar to Shinji's imbed itself onto the ground.

_"No way…"_ Shinji thought in shock as his eyes widened, his body began to shake a bit, and some beads of sweat rolled down the back. _"It can't be her. There is no way…"_However, a figure landed in front of him, and Shinji saw that it was indeed _her_. "Rei…"

At hearing her _true_ name, Lancer turned around and looked at Shinji. Her eyes narrowed a bit at him for a second before they widened in shock. "…Pilot Ikari?"

"Hey!" Assassin yelled, making the two look back at him. Assassin was beyond annoyed now. When the old guy, Shinji, summoned the spear he thought he was Lancer. But now this girl has the same exact spear as him. Does this mean that there are two Lancers? This would not do. "Don't think you can upstage me you bastards." Assassin then brought his left hand up in front of his head, curling back all his fingers but his index and middle finger before shouting, "_Soul Resonance: Uncanny Sword_!" Energy then literally _burst_ out of Assassin, and his weapon changed into a black katana with white bandages covering the hilt. Black markings then spread on Assassin's face, giving him a menacing appearance. However, Shinji's eyes widened in shock at the energy produced by Assassin.

_"I-It can't be! It's like…" _Shinji thought as the energy Assassin was giving off began to tone down a bit. _"It's like that thing ten years ago!"_

"Okay, you better…"Assassin began before a voice rang out in his hand.

_"By the power of this Command Seal I order you, Assassin, to stop fighting!"_Sakura's voice ordered, making the Uncanny Sword immediately disappear from his hands.

"Huh?" Assassin questioned intelligently while looking down at his hands. "Come on Sakura! I was totally going to kick their asses!"

"P-Please Assassin…" Sakura said as she went out of the, now wrecked entrance, and looked at Assassin with pleading eyes. "S-Stop fighting. T-They won't try to attack you or anything…"

"Lancer, do not attack him either." Luvia spoke, making her Servant tense. "However, do not be afraid to defend yourself should Assassin decide to _ignore_ his Master's order."

"…Understood." Rei spoke before relaxing her stance, however her spear did not leave her hands.

Assassin looked at Sakura for a moment in silence. Her eyes were pleading him not to continue the fight that he was _winning_. While it was kind of annoying, he was too big of a guy to just disregard her in this situation. "Whatever. But I totally won this." Assassin grumbled as he began to walk towards Sakura.

At that moment, Shirou went through the ruined entrance and spoted Saber on the ground. "Saber!" Shirou yelled as he ran to his Servant and kneeled down.

"S-Shirou…" Saber muttered while looking at her Master, who was staring at her with concerned-filled eyes. "I-I'm well..."

"No your not." Shirou said simply before carefully lifting her up and beginning to carry her back to the house. She was actually very _light_, which was surprising due to the armor she wore. "Come on, Maiya-san wants to talk to everyone…"

"O-Okay…" Saber muttered to herself while looking away, a light tinge of pink forming on her cheeks.

_"Why do I feel threatened?" _Both Sakura and Luvia thought at the same time, much to both of their confusion.

"Rei, how…?" Shinji began while raising a shaking hand to Lancer's face, only for her to look away from him.

"…We will discuss this at a later time Pilot Ikari." Lancer spoke in a soft tone before beginning to walk with her Master back inside. "…when it is just us, in private."

"…Okay." Shinji said quietly before walking with the group inside.

The answers he wanted would have to come at a later time.

**_Several Minutes Later:_**

Luvia, Sakura, Shirou, Shinji, Maiya, Lancer, and Assassin sat quietly at the, now repaired (Thank you magic…), kitchen table. Saber laid in a futon near the table, looking at Shirou as she felt her wounds slowly but surely heal. Assassin was sitting next to Sakura, fidgeting a bit due to having to stay still for an extended period of time. Lancer was sitting beside Luvia, sitting straight and completely composed while Shinji sat beside her. He often glanced at her and Taiga, who was snoring loudly in a corner of the room.

"Now then, Matou-san…" Maiya spoke while eyeing Sakura, who tensed a bit at her tone. "Do you confirm once more that Assassin left your manor _despite _your wishes to remain? And that you had no previous knowledge that Shirou was a Master until today?"

"Y-Yes…" Sakura confirmed with a nod of her head. "I-I told Assassin to stay in my h-home until I returned from school…"

"But that damn place is too dark and dreary for a star like me!" Assassin defended himself, only to earn a glare from Saber.

"That is no excuse to disobey orders from your own Master." Saber growled out before wincing in pain, making Shirou look at her with a worried expression.

"…And I had no idea Se-I mean Shirou, was a Master. Even then…" Sakura looked down at the table with her hands curled up. "I would have never tried to hurt him in anyway."

"How can I, no _we_, expect that little promise to be true Matou?" Luvia asked while staring at Sakura with accusing eyes. "The Matous, with the Tohsakas and Einzberns, want the Holy Grail the most."

"I…" Sakura began before gulping nervously. "I don't want the grail at all. Nii-san made me summon Assassin because it was the duty of the Matous to participate."

The room stayed quiet at that little tidbit of information before Maiya spoke again. "Saber, I did not question this last night due to my condition, but how do you even remember me? To my knowledge, Servants should not receive any information they had gotten from any war they participated in."

"…When I was… alive…" Saber explained while looking away, apparently now in deep thought. "I asked Gaia to provide me an opportunity to… right the wrongs I have performed in life. It accepted, and I became a Servant as a result."

"So does that mean you are a Counter-Guardian?" Luvia whispered with wide eyes as she looked at Saber.

"…In a sense." Saber answered, providing an answer but not giving away too much information. "More importantly, how are you still in this world Lancer? You should have disappeared when the Grail was…"

"I was provided a new body from the Grail's 'contents'." Shinji replied, disgust in his tone as he reminisced that day. The evil thoughts that had tried to worm into his head, the utter _hatred_ towards the world itself for his suffering…

It was an experience that he did not want to go through again.

"Contents? What are you talking about?" Shirou asked in confusion while Luvia and Sakura looked at Shinji curiously.

"…The Grail is corrupted." Maiya informed them, making everyone but Shinji look at her with their eyes widened with shock.

"W-what the Hell are you talking about!?" Assassin shouted, voicing everyone's thoughts as he pointed at Maiya. "How can the Holy Grail be corrupted!?"

"Angra Mainyu." Was her simple answer, making everyone but Sakura and Luvia look at her with utter confusion.

"Angra Mainyu…" Luvia muttered to herself as she thought for a moment before her eyes widened with horror. "D-do you mean…?"

"The Persian God of Darkness?" Sakura finished, looking just as horrified as her.

"Yes. It was summoned in the Third War as Avenger before being quickly killed off." Maiya told them with closed eyes. "Because of its presence, the Grail was infected by its conscious. Any wish made by the Grail would cause untold suffering before its reincarnation back into the world. That is why, in the Fourth War, Kiritsugu destroyed the Grail to prevent Angra Mainyu from returning."

"That is why…" Saber muttered to herself as she too remembered that day. Kiritsugu looked her directly in the eyes as he ordered her to destroy the Grail. He had an utterly serious look, one more serious than the usually empty ones she saw on his face. It was like that order was the most important thing in his life. "I-I never had a chance to rescue my people?"

"Yes." Maiya responded without hesitation. "To do so would have simply resurrected Angra Mainyu and made it perform your wish, but not in the sense that you wanted. In fact, the Great Fire was caused afterwards by Angra Mainyu most likely out of spite towards Kiritsugu ruining its chance to escape, which consequently brought Shinji his flesh and blood body."

"T-this is…" Assassin muttered to himself in shock, his usually bright and overconfident nature now a bit more dimmed than before. Even Lancer seemed to give off a feeling of utter _depression_ despite her emotionless expression.

Shirou looked down in thought. Angra Mainyu was the cause of all those deaths. The entire _purpose_ for the Holy Grail War was a lie. It was using the desires of the competitors and their Servants, once legendary heroes, for a chance at returning to the world.

Something had to be done.

"Well, what if we stop the war from continuing?" Shirou asked, making everyone look at him. "We know the truth, that Angra Mainyu will return if the Holy Grail is wished upon. But for that to happen, only one Servant and Master must be left standing. If we can stop the other Servants and Masters from continuing, then the Holy Grail cannot be formed. "

"So, you're saying that we simply stop fighting Sempai?" Sakura asked, making Shirou shake his head.

"No, some Masters might not even believe us if we told them that the Grail is corrupted. I'm saying that we beat their Servants and stop fighting when it is just our Servants remaining. That way the Grail cannot form at all." Shirou then looked at Saber, Lancer, and Assassin before continuing. "But I need you guys to agree on this."

"This Angra Main-whatever sounds like a glorified Kishin." Assassin voiced out, a confident grin forming on his face once more. "No way am I becoming its pawn! Count me in!"

"…If it is what Master wishes, then I will obey." Lancer said quietly, making Shinji and Luvia look at her worriedly. There were still hints of sadness in her voice.

"…" Saber remained silent as she contemplated her answer. She now knew her greatest wish could never be granted. Not without bringing untold levels of suffering onto the world. She could not, in good conscience, make the wish knowing this information.

Now she understood why Kiritsugu made that order.

"…Very well."

Shirou then looked at Luvia and Sakura with a pleading expression on his face. While their Servants agreed, they still held the reins on them.

"…Well, at least I shall still get an opportunity to beat that barbarian, Tohsaka." Luvia spoke with a small smile forming on her face. _"And I'll still be closer to Shirou than ever before, even if Matou decides to follow us. If not, well at least I will have the satisfaction of seeing her beaten down by our combined strength."_

"O-Of course I'll help you Sempai!" Sakura blurted out before blushing in embarrassment. "I-I mean, I can't let something like Angra Mainyu return to this world. So I, uh…."

"H-hey, no need to explain yourself!" Shirou assured her with a smile forming on his face. "You're reasons are your own, and that's fine with me."

"This three-way alliance will definitely be beneficial to your plan Shirou…" Maiya muttered to herself before glancing at Shinji. "And what will you do?"

"Right now, I have to get Taiga-chan to her school." Shinji said before walking to the still sleeping form of Taiga. Thank God Maiya implanted false memories into her. A conversation about how he was able to do ANYTHING he just demonstrated on Assassin was something he wanted to avoid. "After all, it is 7:30…"

"WHAT!?" Luvia shouted in shock before a knock came from the door. She quickly ran too it to see Sebastian with the limp parked on the sidewalk.

"Madam, I must inform you…" The butler began, only for Luvia to point at the limo once more.

"I know Sebastian, just get in there and wait for me!" Luvia shouted, making Sebastian nod before returning to the driver's seat. "Come on you two! I'll bring you along!"

"You going to school will allow you to keep an eye on Tohsaka." Maiya informed Shirou, who just nodded in response. At least Rin being one of his classmates helped a lot.

"Should you need me Shirou, use a Command Seal to summon me to your side." Saber informed Shirou, who nodded in response.

"Shirou!" Luvia shouted, making Shirou snap his head towards her to see her and Sakura putting on their shoes. "Come on! Let's go!"

"R-right…" Shirou muttered before rushing forward, putting on his own shoes, and getting into Luvia's limo.

Said limo would promptly break several speed records and a few laws to get to the school at 7:35.

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Church):_**

"Huh, it's been a while since we've been given an actual part inside of the story." Wade muttered to himself while leafing through the Marvel Swimsuit Edition. "You think TIM just gave us this part to provide comic relief?"

"Most likely yes." Kirei responded while unfolding his Playboy magazine's centerfold. "The fans love us, and will most likely comment about our entire conversation."

"Meh, at least I get a bigger fanbase." Wade said with a shrug before throwing his magazine over his shoulder and plopping on the couch. "So, what did you think about that whole fight between Assassin/Black*Star, Shinji Ikari, and Saber?"

"Hm, I suppose it was the best major fight since this whole story began." Kirei muttered thoughtfully as he flipped through some more pages. "Plus, it has given us the first Luvia/Sakura/Shirou alliance in fanfiction. We have to give TIM kudos for that."

"True, true." Wade agreed while flipping through some channels. "So, you think that instead of a threesome, the superhero wannabe might get a foursome?"

"Saber doesn't need a 'recharge' yet, so that is still up in the air." Kirei informed Wade before getting up from his seat and sitting on the couch next to Wade. "Plus TIM can't write lemons for crap, so it will probably just be mentioned rather than written down."

"That sucks…" Wade groaned before his eyes widened. "Oh man, Jackass 3 is on!"

"And I think our little cut scene is done." Kirei mentioned as he observed the porta-potty being shot into the air before looking at Wade. "Pass me the chips. I _love_ this part."

**_Back At _****_Hamurahara Gakuren:_**

"Anyway, I want to say thanks again Emiya." Ayako told Shirou again in the hallway, ignoring the numerous other students milling around for lunch. "You saved me a LOT of trouble."

"I-It's no problem Ayako-san." Shirou muttered to the girl before thinking, _"But it DID get me involved in the Holy Grail War…"_ "So, how were the guests you talked about?"

"Oh, they were fine." Ayako commented before sighing. "Waver Velvet, he's the guy that I know from _years_ back and just came to Fuyuki yesterday, was really polite and my parents like him. But he's got a _really_ bad smoking problem. His friend Simon is also okay, but my God he's a big eater. Practically ate the entire table! And don't get me started on Waver's wife. It's all 'manly husband' this and 'manly' that! I even think that she was staring at my bust the entire ti-!" Ayako then realized who she was talking to and shook her head. "Y-you know what? Forget that last part! Anyway, thanks again." Ayako then ran off to some fellow members of the Archery Club, leaving Shirou alone.

_"Waver Velvet huh?"_ Shirou thought to himself as he began to walk to the Student Council Room. That last name was a bit strange, and even a bit _familiar_. Maybe he heard Kiritsugu mention it once or twice? _"Maybe I'll ask Maiya-san later…"_ Shirou then entered the Student Council Room and saw his friend Issei picking at his food with a scowl on his face.

"Something wrong?" Shirou asked as he sat down, only for Issei to scowl even more.

"You have _no_ idea Emiya." Issei grumbled as he picked even more at his chicken salad. "Souichirou-nii brought over this foreign girl a day ago…"

_"That's right. Kuzuki-sensei lives at Ryuudoji Temple."_ Shirou reminded himself as Issei continued to rant.

"…She's pretty much put the entire place under marshal law! Hell, even Reikan-nii has become _quiet_ since she's come!" Issei then shuddered before saying, "Not that I can blame him. She's scary. But something's dodgy about that woman! That red-haired devil is worse than Tohsaka! And I will prove it to Souichirou-nii soon! I just need to get enough evidence…"

_"Does Issei suspect every girl of hiding something incriminating just because he doesn't like them?" _Shirou thought before popping a piece of chicken into his mouth. _"Still, doesn't hurt to check out Ryuudoji Temple sometime. Kuzuki-sensei finding a woman just a day ago is too convenient…"_

Oh, he had no idea how right he was…

**_Elsewhere (School Showers):_**

Sakura sighed as the water dribbled down her body after a long, hard period of gym class. Besides getting rid of the sweat on her body, the shower really helped to wash away the anxiety that was plaguing her. This morning had been completely chaotic (no thanks to her _extremely_ un-assassin like Servant) which led to big reveals and her getting into an alliance with the object of her dreams. Sure, she would probably still have to fight Nee-san and defeat her Servant but at least she wouldn't have to fight Sempai.

_"I just hope Sempai's plan actually works…"_ Sakura thought to herself before shaking her head. _"What am I saying? Of course it will work! With Assassin helping Saber and Lancer, we should be able to beat the other Servants and completely halt the war just by not fighting each other."_ Sakura felt her cheeks redden before thinking, "_And this will let me be with Sempai even more. And maybe, just maybe he will notice me…"_

"Gh-gh-gh-GHAAAAAAAAAA!" A scream echoed through the showers, making Sakura and every female turn their heads to the sole window of the shower room (Which happened to be really high up) to see Assassin shouting his head off with wide eyes and a small amount of blood leaking out of his nose.

_"Wait…"_ Sakura thought as her mind registered this information.

Assassin was looking at her.

While she was in the showers with her classmates.

_Naked._

"GYYYAAAAHHHH!" Sakura and her classmates shrieked in horror and embarrassment as they attempted to cover themselves. One of her classmates threw a bar of soap at Assassin, hitting the Servant in the face and making him loose his grip on the window frame.

By the time most of the gym class got dressed and went outside to dispatch a healthy dose of righteous female justice, he was gone.

**_On The Roof:_**

Luvia sighed as she waited on top of the school roof for Rin to arrive. She had invited her to this location so that they could talk in private. Nobody went on the roof for lunch, and she had long since shooed off the delinquents who usually smoked there. _"Hopefully, Tohsaka will be intelligent enough to listen."_ Luvia thought to herself while reminiscing about the information she had received in the morning. The Holy Grail being corrupted by Angra Mainyu was a huge shock to her, but not all that surprising considering the 'Heroic' Spirit's former station in life. Of _course_ it would have corrupted the Grail after falling out of spite. It even made sense that it caused the Great Fuyuki Fire out of revenge towards the man who prevented it from being released.

Which brought Luvia to where she was now. She would inform Tohsaka about the corruption and see if she would agree to aligning with her and Shirou's (And Matou's she supposed…) alliance. With all three of the knight classes including Assassin under their command, the other Masters would not stand a chance. Although there _was_ the possibility that she would either inform the overseer or the Association, in which case Luvia would be forced to… _take care_ of her.

She would _not_ be responsible for the deaths of all those in Fuyuki City just because either the Church or the Association deemed the situation serious enough to purge the area.

Suddenly, the door to the roof opened revealing Tohsaka with a serious expression on her face. She then closed the door before saying, "I saw Emiya-kun walking around school. I guess that Servant didn't try to follow him after all…"

"Oh no Tohsaka, he did try to kill Shirou again." Luvia informed Rin, making her stare at him wide-eyed. "But before I could rescue him, the Grail made him the Master of Saber and she drove him off."

"W-wha…?" Rin muttered intelligently before shouting, "_He's_ the Master of Saber!? How!? He isn't a…"

"You're getting sloppy in your duties as head Tohsaka. Shirou _is_a Magus, and so is his adoptive mother." Luvia told Rin, taking in some silent satisfaction as Rin's face morphed into a mixture of shocked and outraged. "I even allied myself to him and Matou, who has Assassin."

_"Sakura summoned Assassin of all classes?"_ Rin thought to herself in shock. While she did not try actively interact with her wayward sister, she had seen her to be a kind and caring girl. However, if she summoned a class who specialized in assassinations…

Rin would have to remind herself later to reinforce the Bounded Fields around her home.

"Why are you telling me this? Trying to gloat your alliance with Emiya and Matou to me?" Rin growled out, only to be shocked as Luvia shook her head.

"No. I have come to ask for you to join, but do not worry. The prospect is revolting enough to me already." Luvia told her, making Rin blink in surprise. "The Holy Grail is corrupted."

Rin stayed silent at this, and Luvia already could tell that the gears in her rival's head were turning. No doubt, she would understand what such a statement meant. She would, without a doubt, demand her to explain. And Luvia will be gracious enough to…

"Bullshit."

Wait, what?

"You think you can fool me with this… this… _pathetic_ tactic Edelfelt? I thought you were above that?" Rin asked before giving a smug grin formed on her face. "But I thank you for the information about Emiya and Matou. It will come in handy for my own plans."

Luvia felt her face redden in fury as she looked at the Tohsaka. Did she really think that she was making this up? She would _never_ make something as important as this up, rivalry be damned!

Well you know what, screw the smug tramp!

"Fine, have it your way Tohsaka!" Luvia shouted as she walked past Rin and towards the door. "But know this, I will be _sure_ to take pictures when you go crying to the church overseer once me and Shirou defeat your pathetic Servant!" Luvia then opened the door and then slammed it shut behind her.

"Honestly…" Rin muttered as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

_"You know, she _could_ have been telling you the truth."_ Archer's voice informed her, making Rin shake her head.

"No, there is no way the Grail could be corrupted. Kirei would have informed the church otherwise." Rin muttered as she began to walk towards the door. "This was just a trick from her to mess with my head."

_"…If you say so Rin…"_ Archer muttered before he went silent again, making Rin sigh.

She would now have to factor Emiya and her sister's Servant into her game plan for the war.

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake:**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"Yo boys and girls! The Taiga Dojo starts now!" Taiga yelled out before looking back at Assassin, whose whole body was covered in bandages, as he scrubbed the floor. "Hurry up and scrub! I expect my dojo to be sparkling by tonight!"

"Fruek yu!" Assassin's shouted through his bandaged mouth as he scrubbed away his 'autographs'.

"Wow Sensei, TIM sure got this chapter out fast!" Illyasviel commented as she walked into the dojo.

"I know right?" Taiga asked back in a happy tone. "All I had to do was use this!" Taiga then began to wave around an unnaturally sharp kitchen knife, frightening Illyasviel.

**_Update Motivator Kit: Successful!_**

"A-Anyway…" Illyasviel began before looking back at the 'audience'. "S-stay tuned for the next chapter, 'The Mighty Dai-Gurrens'!"

"Check it out!" Taiga shouted before looking back at Assassin. "Scrub harder and faster slave!"

You do not fuck with Taiga's dojo.

**Omake:**** Different Servants: Caster**

Souichirou blinked as he looked at the figure in front of him. It was a portly, humanoid creature wearing a red vest, white baggy middle eastern-like pants, and had a white turban on its head. However its skin was completely pitch-black with the only exceptions being its red lips curled into a smile and white eyes with beady black pupils.

For some reason, Souichirou felt terror just by looking at them.

"So you're the maggot who summoned me." The creature commented in an amused tone as Souichirou kept staring at it.

Those eyes… It was like there was no soul in them…

"Well then, better get that Grail." The creature then looked at the sky and simply said, "Popo!"

Suddenly, and without warning, a golden cup appeared in front of the creature.

**_"Huh? Isn't it too early to…"_** A voice came from the cup before it seemed to notice the creature's presence, and then the voice said with utter horror in its tone. **_"Oh no…. not you… you couldn't have been summoned as Caster…"_**

'Caster' did not waste any time and grabbed the cup before drinking from it, ignoring the pain-filled and horrified, **_"GHHHHAAAAAAA!"_** that came from it. After a minute of chugging its contents, Caster threw the cup over its shoulder.

"Hm, that was a bit refreshing…" Caster mused as it looked around. "I better go find the other useless maggots and teach them the pecking order."

"W-who are these 'other's?" Souichirou asked, making Caster look directly at him. _"T-those eyes!"_

"I can tell you what they are not!" Caster said, his tone somehow more jovial than before. "_Safe…"_ Souichirou did not say anything, but felt true and utter terror grip his heart. "Bwahahahahahaha!"

Fuyuki City would soon know the terror of Caster, once known through life as…. Mr. Popo.

**Note-**** Yo! It's TIM here with chapter five of Fate:Stay Away! I found enough free time in my now busy schedual to shell out this chapter to you! I hope that this latest development in the story makes you anxious for more, and I hope you realize by the title of the next chapter, it will be dedicated to Waver and what he's been doing for the Holy Grail War.**

**I would also like to tell you guys that I have made an actual, honest to God, Carnival Phantasm story. It will parody both this and Fate:Zero Sense. It's name is Carnival Frenzy, and it is out right now. Go check it out.**

**I would also like you guys to know that my alternate Caster is Mr. Popo from TeamFourStar's Dragonball Z Abridged. By God, if he was actually summoned in the Holy Grail War…. May God have mercy on the Servants, because he sure as Hell wont.**

**I would also like for you guys to remember to review! Reviews help motivate me to update this story (besides the Update Motivator Kit) and so the more reviews the better! Get your body working for once and gimme mah reviews!**

**…Please?**


	6. The Mighty DaiGurrens

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Assassin shouted while throwing away the small shuriken lodged into his forehead. However, the very second after he did that, a small fountain of blood began to shoot out. "Gah!" Assassin then plugged his thumb on the small wound, sealing the fountain but unable to prevent a stream of blood running down his face.

"I can't believe you, Black*Star!" A female voice huffed out while throwing the Servant a small glare. "Why did you have to peep on _our_ Master in her _school _of all places?"

"I-I was just practicing the second rule, Tsubaki…" Assassin muttered to himself while slowly taking his thumb off of his head. Seemed like the bleeding had finally stopped… Assassin then turned to the speaker, who happened to be a fairly tall, well-endowed Japanese woman in her late teens. She wore a pale yellow and sleeveless outfit with a skirt end that had a slit down the right side along with a bright yellow star emblazoned on the right side of her chest. She also wore a dark brown scarf, a tight brown stocking on her right leg starting above the knee, white boots, and a sash similar to Assassin's straps around her waist hanging diagonally from right to left.

"Black*Star…" 'Tsubaki' muttered as she looked at Assassin with a softer expression on her face. "…If you keep doing this you will cause Sakura trouble…"

"But you know how I can't stand being in that whole 'spirit form' thing. A big guy like me can't just stay out of sight without anyone to see my glory!" Assassin bragged out, making Tsubaki sigh. "…Anyways Tsubaki, I haven't heard from you since we were summoned. What's bothering you?"

"…I was just thinking…" Tsubaki said while looking down. "I'm worried Black*Star. We are facing legendary heroes. They will probably be tougher than any opponent that we have ever faced before. Even _with_ our alliance with Saber and Lancer, we still have to face four others."

"Geeze Tsubaki, you should have more faith in me!" Assassin shouted with a grin on his face. "I'll take out the others without a problem! There's no way in Hell I'll allow any hero to upstage me!"

"…" Tsubaki was silent for a moment before she smiled happily. _"He hasn't changed a bit…"_ "By the way, Black*Star, what were you going to wish for from the Grail? I mean, before we found out about…" Her cheerful demeanor then began to fade, and her face became sullen. "…The truth?"

Assassin was silent for a moment before saying, "…To save Kid and us to not get killed." Assassin then began to walk out of the forest that he had originally been hiding in while Tsubaki slowly began to fade away from view.

"I understand Black*Star." Tsubaki said softly before completely vanishing from view.

_"Well, better check out the city."_ Assassin thought to himself while wiping the blood from his face. With a loud "YAHHHOOOO!", Assassin left the school grounds to explore the battlefield of the Holy Grail War.

**_Elsewhere (Mitsuduri Residence):_**

Waver slowly took a sip of his coffee while looking at Ayako's parents. Her father, Mitsuduri Jin, had short brown hair, brown eyes, and was as tall as Waver himself. He wore a white t-shirt and regular blue jeans. Her mother, Mitsuduri Kamachi, meanwhile looked so damn _young_ despite being in her mid-thirties. Seriously, she looked like she could be Ayako's older _sister_ rather than her mother. Her dark black hair reached to her shoulders, her eyes seemed to be eternally closed like a fox's, and she gave Waver a small friendly smile. She wore a yellow turtleneck shirt whose sleeves slightly covered her hands and white pants.

"So…" Jin began, breaking the silence that had settled on the table. "What exactly do you do for a living, Velvet-san?"

"I'm a professor at a college in London." Waver responded automatically. After all, that was his cover concerning questions towards his occupation. The reason why they were asking this the morning _after_ he, Rider, and Cristina had taken up residence in the household was because their dinner last night had been in complete awkward silence. After all, he was a total stranger despite him saving their child ten years ago. Waver himself had been so nervous that he had smoked five cigars to calm himself down.

Damn his bad habit to the darkest pits of Hell…

"Oh my, that sounds like an interesting occupation Velvet-kun." Kamachi commented with a light-hearted laugh. "And what does Simon-kun do for a living?"

"…Construction. We have been friends for about ten year now after he helped me out in a tight situation." Waver told her with a small smile on his face. It was not a _complete _lie. If it weren't for Rider and the other members of Team Dai-Gurren in Kamina's Reality Marble, then they would have surely died against Berserker.

"Heh, small world! A professor and a construction worker becoming friends…" Jin laughed out before taking another sip of his drink. "Say, Ayako's been keeping her grades up in school. Do you think that you can recommend her to your boss?"

"Um…" Waver muttered while looking into his cup of coffee. _"Damn, I didn't expect this. I should have considering Ayako's a high school student only a year or so shy from graduation. Of course her parents would be looking for colleges." _"I…"

"Husband!" Cristina cried out as she walked into the room and latched herself to Waver. "Why did you leave the bed without waiting for me? I was so lonely…"

"…I had to go to the bathroom?" Waver lied to Cristina with a nervous smile on his face. In truth, he didn't want to disturb the sleep of the household's true residence. In her sleep, Cristina began to grab his…. _Privates_ and began muttering about something involving ropes and candle wax in Ayako's room.

No way in Hell was he sticking around to see if she would begin to go through with it.

"Hm…" Cristina muttered while letting go of Waver. "Husband, you _do_ know that if you wish to relieve your… _stress_ you could have simply woken me up and…"

"I'm sorry, but what exactly are you saying that Waver-kun is allowed to do in _my_ house?" Kamachi asked in her usual friendly tone, however Waver could not help but feel a sense of dread.

"…Nothing…" Cristina squeaked out while shrinking back in freight.

"Good!" Kamachi declared, the sense of dread now disappearing completely from Waver's mind.

"Wives are really something huh?" Jin asked with a knowing smile, to which Waver could not help but nod.

"Hey, you ready Waver?" Rider asked as he walked into the room. "I thought we were going out to the city?"

"Yeah we are. I'm just finishing my coffee." Waver responded while taking one final sip before getting up with Cristina following him. "By the way... Jin-san…" _"Have to get used to these honorifics…" _Waver thought to himself while turning to Ayako's father. "This place is fairly close to the Mackenzies. Do they still live in this neighborhood?"

"No unfortunately." Kamachi told Waver, her tone now sad. "They both died six years ago."

"…Oh." Waver muttered to himself while looking down. While they had simply been an old couple he had hypnotized ten years ago, Glen and Martha had been extremely nice to him. And even though Glen had discovered that Waver was not really his grandson, he had still allowed Waver to stay in their house since he had made Martha happy. Waver had originally planned to visit the two of them since Ayako's house was miraculously only a few houses away from where they lived, but it seemed that it was now impossible. "Well, thanks for telling me."

"Enjoy yourselves! Dinner is at six!" Kamachi told them while they left the house. Waver let out a sigh as he, Cristina, and Rider began walking on the sidewalk.

"So these 'Mackenzies' husband…" Cristina began in an unsure tone while walking in step with Waver. "They were the couple that you stayed at during the Fourth War?"

"Yeah, they are." Waver said with a sigh while running his hand through his hair. Damn, he could go for another cigar right about now… "I just wanted to say hi since I was in the neighborhood."

"Sounds like you actually liked them." Rider noted, to which Waver nodded.

"Yeah, I kind of did. They were nice, and not just because they thought I was their grandson." Waver admitted to them while a small smile formed on his face. "They had to put up with me and Rider for all those days, and even when Glen found out the truth he still did not kick us out."

"Heh, with someone like bro I'm kind of surprised that he didn't kick you out the first chance he got." Rider snickered out as a smile formed on his face. "But they sound like really good people."

"Indeed. I would have enjoyed meeting them." Cristina admitted, making Waver smile.

"Yeah, you both would have…" With that Waver, Rider, and Cristina continued to walk towards Fuyuki.

**_Elsewhere (Dreamscape):_**

_Illyasviel blinked as she looked around the area she found herself at. It was a wide, expansive room that had a huge window looking out to a cliff side. There were two pools filled with clear water on one half of the room near the entrance, however a walkway connected the entrance of the room to the dry area. The only lighting of the room was a lamp that exuded green flames._

_"Where am I?" Illyasviel questioned as she looked around the room. She then spotted a girl around her physical age with grey hair that had two long bangs coming from a red helmet. She wore a white sundress and white heals. "I-Is this the dream sequence?" She had researched that she, as a Master, would start receiving dreams about her Servant's life. Illyasviel just did not expect them to come so soon._

_Suddenly, the lamp was knocked over making Illyasviel turn in surprise to see Berserker crouched down._

_"Who are you?" The girl asked, leaning forward a bit. "Speak."_

_"I am Casshern." Berserker stated in robotic calmness while gazing at the girl. "Luna, I will kill you."_

_"W-what?" Illyasviel squeaked out in surprise. Since learning of her Servant's identity, she had watched a few episodes of his show to get a better understanding of his skills. But, Berserker was supposed to be 'Luna's' knight in shining armor! Why would he want to kill her?_

_"…" Luna stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "If I die here today, the world will fall into Ruin."_

_"That does not concern me!" Berserker stated, now openly glaring at Luna. "I have been given orders to take your life, nothing more. Now die, Luna." Berserker then shot forward, passing Illyasviel in half of a second before stabbing his hand through Luna's chest. Blood sprayed onto both Berserker and Luna while she gasped in pain and… relief?_

_"I-I'm… free…" Luna muttered as she slid off of Berserker's hand and went slowly into the water, coloring it red while Berserker stared at his blood stained hand._

_"W-what did you…?" Berserker questioned before his eyes widened. "GHHHHHAAAAAAA~!"_

_"LUNA!"_

**_Reality:_**

"Gah!" Illyasviel shouted as she sat on her bed, sweat dripping down her face as she panted hard. _"W-what was that?" _Illyasviel thought to herself while placing her hand on her forehead. _"T-that's not how the cartoon went!"_

"Master, are you okay?" Berserker asked as he materialized next to her bed, worry now in his eyes. "You looked like…"

"I'm fine Berserker!" Illyasviel barked out while clutching the bed sheets with her hands. "J-just wait for me in the kitchen! I want something nice for breakfast, and it better not be burnt toast like yesterday!"

"Alright, I'll try…" Berserker muttered before exiting the room and closing the door behind him. Illyasviel unconsciously shivered as she remembered the events in her dream.

_"Berserker… Just what are you?"_

**_Elsewhere (Bazette's Apartment):_**

"…" Avenger said nothing as he shut off the TV. He had just finished watching both Neo 1 and 2 back to back in order to make sense of what Bazette had said last night. And after watching them both, and understanding that the first movie and thus the sequel were the result of a half-assed attempt to cover up the Fourth Holy Grail War, Avenger had only one thing to say.

"Fuck."

This wasn't just some random world where Luvia appeared years earlier than she should and she and Rin somehow summoned fictional characters as their Servants. No, it was a world where almost _everyone_ in the Fourth War had summoned fictional characters that should not have existed yet. He had learned (Thanks to the notes he had 'borrowed' from Bazette) that Waver Velvet, who in this world was the 'technical' winner of the Fourth Holy Grail War, had summoned _Kamina_ as Rider rather than Alexander the Great. And from what he could identify from reports and pictures that Bazette had taken with her to Fuyuki, Tokiomi had summoned Vash the Stampede, Kayneth Archibald had gotten Shinji _fucking_ Ikari, Uryuu Ryuunosuke had somehow gotten his hands on Uchiha Sasuke, and finally Kirei had summoned_ Deadpool_.

"Probably went crazy just by being around him." Avenger muttered to himself while walking into the kitchen. "At least Saber stayed the same though." A small smile formed on his face as he imagined the look on Saber's face when she had faced all these strange Servants in the last war.

It was a nice thought.

Unfortunately, this put an even bigger hindrance on his plans. If Archer and Lancer were anything to go by, the Fifth Holy Grail War would also be full of fictional Servants. Each having a unique Noble Phantasm that even Avenger would have a hard time going against. _"But since Lancer's 'legend' never came to this world, she will be weaker. This can actually work to my advantage…"_

"Avenger, what are you doing?" Bazette questioned as she walked into the kitchen and looked at the Servant with a stern expression on her face. "All my notes are unorganized and my Neo movies are out of their cases."

"Just doing a bit of research on our enemies Master." Avenger told her while pouring himself a glass of water. "Which is what you should be doing."

Bazette's face reddened and she stuttered out, "I-I have! I researched Archer's identity a bit just earlier!" Bazette then sighed while placing her hand on her face. "How can the Grail consider him a legendary hero?"

"Honestly, I have no idea." Avenger told her before taking a sip of his water. "This whole war is shaping up to be a strange one."

"Well, perhaps…" Bazette muttered while her face scrunched up in thought. "The Throne of Heroes _is_ supposed to be outside of time and space. So maybe there is a timeline where Train Heartnet was a hero?"

_That_ statement made Avenger blink in surprise. _"Huh, never thought of it like that…."_ "What about the Masters?"

"Kirei never told me much about the Tohsaka head. He just said that she was a 'Tsundere', whatever that is supposed to be…" Bazette muttered while crossing her arms. "But considering she is the head, Tohsaka is most likely skilled with her family's style of magic. Same should apply to Edelfelt since her family practices a similar style. The only information I have gained about Emiya Shirou is that he attends a private school here…" Bazette then scowled while tapping her foot. "I don't like this. I have little to no actual information about Emiya, and one of my colleagues just reported that Lord El-Melloi the Second left England just a few days ago. That _cannot _be just a coincidence."

_"So Waver is here as well huh…?"_ Avenger thought to himself before saying, "While I was out searching for the Master of Saber last night, I felt a concentration of Mana at Ryuudoji Temple. I suggest that we go later to eliminate the Servant there. Any Servant that sets up shop on one of the leylines will cause problems in the long run."

"You have a point." Bazette consented while sitting down on a chair. "If the Servant is Caster, then it won't take long for it to start using the leyline to its full advantage."

"Then we can go tonight." Avenger stated before setting down his glass and dissipating from view. "I suggest that you prepare yourself."

Bazette nodded as Avenger completely disappeared from view. She had known the risks of joining the Holy Grail War when she had accepted Kirei's offer.

She would be _more_ than ready for the coming battle.

**_Elsewhere (Streets of Fuyuki):_**

"So, what do you think of Fuyuki City so far, Rider?" Waver asked as he walked besides his Servant, who was currently holding two plastic bags in both of his hands. He, Rider and Cristina had been walking around Fuyuki City for a good hour or so, and had bought a few things. For Waver, he had simply purchased a few books in order to pass the time. Rider had gotten himself a few DVDs and Cristina had gotten a few (Okay, a _lot_) more articles of clothing.

"It's not that bad really." Rider admitted as a small grin formed on his face. "Don't get me wrong, these 'anime' shows look pretty cool. But it's not all that different from what Kamina City used to be."

_"Kamina City?"_ Waver thought to himself in surprise before asking, "H-He had a city named after him?"

"Without bro, Team Dai-Gurren would have never fought back against Lordgenome." Rider stated, his smile becoming a bit sad. "So, we named the first surface city after him."

"Lordgenome?" Cristina questioned while glancing over her shoulder to Rider. "What kind of name is that?"

"Oh, right. You don't know." Rider said, realization in his tone as he looked at Cristina. "He was the Spiral King. He made humans live underground for centuries and killed all those that went to the surface until me and bro formed Team Dai-Gurren."

_"So that's the Spiral King…"_ Waver thought as he remembered the night Kamina met with the Archer and Saber of the last war. He stated that he wanted to come back to life in order to help Rider defeat him, but Waver did not receive any information of the supposed 'Spiral King' after that. Waver then stopped walking, confusing both Rider and Cristina.

"Husband? What's wrong?" Cristina asked before looking at what Waver was gazing upon.

"Kenpachi Music?" Rider read off the sign before looking at Waver. "Is there something that you want to get here Waver?"

Waver said nothing as he gazed at the store Kamina had purchased his guitar from by using Waver's money. He remembered that day fairly well. Kamina had been grinning like a maniac, boasting that he would master it within a week. Waver himself had been whining about the waste of money and how there was hardly a reason for purchasing the instrument, which resulted in Kamina flicking his forehead and giving him a speech about how he should always try new things and not pay attention to such 'boring' details like money.

Waver still missed those days.

"No, no." Waver said with a sigh as a smile formed on his face. "Just… reminiscing about things."

"Kenpachi Music? Couldn't TIM make a better name for a fictional music show rather than ripping a name off of Bleach?" A new voice asked in English, making Waver turn around to see a man that looked like…

"Ryan Reynolds?" Waver asked in shock, making the man blink before grinning.

"Guess TIM's getting lazy about descriptions now. He won't even talk about my devilishly handsome mug!" The man laughed out, making Waver's eyes narrow. This man sounded oddly familiar… "Anyway, the name's Wade kid. Wade Wilson."

"What are you doing in Fuyuki City then, Mister Wilson?" Cristina asked while narrowing her eyes. Why was this man glancing at both her husband and Rider like he was _watching_ them?

"Well my perverted little OC, I'm here doing a shameless cameo in what was supposed to be this guy's…" Wade then patted Waver's shoulder, making him stiffen a bit. "…solo chap. But then TIM got the great idea of 'this chap will be way too short, so I'll show how the others are doing as well'!"

"What are you talking about?" Rider asked, making Wade shake his head with the smirk never leaving his face.

"You'll find out in later chapters my friend. Until then…" Wade then began to walk away with his hands in his pockets. "…see you around!"

"…Something's wrong with that man…" Cristina mumbled as she watched Wade disappear into the crowd with a frown on her face.

"I did _feel_ something from him." Rider commented with a frown on his face. "But I couldn't tell what it was."

_"I swear, I have heard that voice before…"_ Waver thought before his eyes widened as a woman passed by him. She looked like she was in her thirties, and it was only due to the barely noticeable crow feet that he did not mistake her to be in her late twenties. The woman had red hair that reached to her waist and wore a long-sleeved white shirt which had its right sleeve rolled up, showing that she was missing an arm. She also wore brown pants and brown heels, but Waver barely registered that as _who_ she was hit him like a freight train. _"Sola-Ui?"_

"Husband, what is it?" Cristina asked while looking at him curiously.

"I-I'll catch up with you two later. I have to…" Waver half stuttered before thinking, _"Come on Velvet, think of something clever!"_ "….take a smoke!"

"I swear husband…" Cristina muttered as Waver sped off. "If you wanted to capture an older woman as one of your mistresses, you could have simply told me."

Rider looked at her with a raised eyebrow before thinking, _"Man, and I thought that Leeron was strange…"_ He then looked to where Waver went off to and narrowed his eyes. _"Just what are you hiding Waver?"_

Waver ran through the crowd trying to reach Sola-Ui with a nervous expression on his face. He had not heard from Sola-Ui since she had given him Kayneth's Crest, so he had no idea how she would react to him returning to Fuyuki City. _"It doesn't matter." _Waver thought to himself as he lightly pushed a man away so that he was behind Sola-Ui. _"If there is anyone who knows why the Holy Grail War is happening so eerily, she is one of them."_ Waver then tapped her right shoulder, making her turn and look at him with wide eyes. "Uh, hi?" Waver asked unsurely as he looked at the now much older former Master of Lancer. "It's been a while Sola-Ui."

"Velvet…" Sola-Ui muttered in amazement before her face morphed to a cold, professional look. "I see that what Shinji told me was true."

"Shinji?" Waver questioned before he remembered what Sola-Ui kept muttering during the time he saved both her and… "You mean Lancer?"

"…Let's talk in private, Velvet." Sola-Ui said before turning her head towards a café named 'Ahnenerbe'.

**_A Few Minutes Later:_**

Waver looked at Sola-Ui from his end of the table as she sipped on her cup of tea. He had to admit, the café was pretty empty, dark, and big, allowing them to be able to talk about anything in almost perfect privacy.

It just sucked that the owner made him pay for coffee before he could actually sit down.

_"It's not even that good of a brew…"_ Waver thought bitterly before taking another sip of his (extremely bland and not that strong) coffee.

"Nothing in this café is good unless Shinji is on his shift." Sola-Ui admitted before setting her cup down. "In fact, he is probably the only reason why this establishment is still up."

"Sola-Ui…" Waver began, only to receive a small glare from her.

"Do not use that name so freely." Sola-Ui chided, glancing over to the clerk behind the counter. "Refer to me as Shirley. That is my alias here."

"Shirley then…" Waver corrected himself before clearing his throat. "So, how has life been here in Fuyuki since I last saw you?"

"It has been well to both me and Shinji." Sola-Ui admitted before taking another sip of her tea. "I was able to get a fairly simple job as a librarian while Shinji finished high school and received his job here. I kept trying to convince him to get a better job, but he seems to enjoy this place for some reason. He even got himself a girlfriend here." Sola-Ui then glanced at him before asking, "And you?"

"Well, I was able to become the new head of the Archibalds believe it or not." Waver said with a chuckle while Sola-Ui looked at him with wide eyes. "It's all thanks to Cristina really. Without her, I would have probably been killed right after returning the Crest to them."

"Cristina? That little brat who was the tenth head of the Archibalds?" Sola-Ui asked with an exasperated expression on her face, and sighed when Waver nodded his head. "You truly have your work cut out for you Velvet."

"She's not that bad." Waver defended his wife before continuing. "Anyway, I also was able to get a job as a lecturer at Clock Tower. I even formed my own political group that demands fair lessons that do not discriminate and allow those of lower families to be treated on the same level as higher ones." Waver then allowed a proud smile to form on his face before saying, "Our name is Team Dai-Gurren!"

"You've certainly been busy these past few years Velvet." Sola-Ui muttered before taking another sip of her tea. "Now please, stop treating me as a fool and tell me what you want."

"…" Waver stayed silent for a moment before sighing. "…What do you know about the current Holy Grail War?"

_That_ statement made Sola-Ui freeze in place before asking, "Why do you wish to know?"

"Apparently, the Grail chose me to be a Master again." Waver admitted before showing her his altered Command Seals. "Since you live here, I was hoping that you would know why it is happening so early."

"I have no idea why." Sola-Ui admitted before placing down her cup again. "I had a suspicion that it was happening after Shinji told me that he saw you. You have no reason to come here otherwise. You just confirmed to me that the Fifth War is indeed happening Velvet."

"…Are you going to get involved with La-I mean Shinji?" Waver asked hesitantly, only to receive a glare from Sola-Ui.

"If I were to tell you yes, would you try to kill me Velvet?" Sola-Ui asked, only for Waver to shake his head.

"No! No, I was just asking. That is all." Waver denied, making Sola-Ui relax a bit.

"…I have no true intention to do so, Velvet." Sola-Ui responded while looking Waver in the eye. "However, I do not speak for Shinji. He will make his own choice on this, and I will not stop him."

"I see…" Waver muttered before getting out of his chair. "It was nice meeting you again… Shirley."

"Velvet." Sola-Ui stated, making Waver freeze in place. "I will give you this warning. The Grail is not what you think it is."

"…" Waver stayed silent at this statement before saying, "I will determine that with my own two eyes. But thank you for the warning." Waver then began to leave the café, leaving Sola-Ui alone.

_"…I suppose this is an end to our peaceful days…" _Sola-Ui thought to herself before taking another sip of her tea.

She had no idea how right she was.

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake- It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"Yo my faithful fans! The Taiga Dojo begins now!" Taiga yelled out while Illyasviel nodded enthusiastically. "Isn't it beautiful my student?" Taiga asked while running around her, now sparkling clean, dojo with an overjoyed expression on her face. "Our slave has truly outdone himself!"

"To be fair Sensei, you did bang him up pretty badly whenever he missed a spot." Illyasviel informed her, making Taiga shrug.

"Hey, the boy must learn to respect his superiors." Taiga laughed out, not noticing Assassin and Wade walk into the dojo behind her and begin to spray-paint everything. "Anyway, I'm just glad that it is all over!"

"Uhm, Sensei…" Illyasviel muttered, grabbing Taiga's attention. "Look…"

Taiga then turned around to see her dojo covered in graffiti with slogans such as 'BLACK*STAR WUZ HERE' and 'CHIMICHANGA 4 LIFE'. And in the center of it all, with spray cans in their hands, were Assassin and Wade.

"GET BACK HERE YOU FIENDS!" Taiga yelled as she chased after the laughing pair of Assassins while Illyasviel just sighed.

"Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'Fear and Loathing in Fuyuki City'!" Illyasviel shouted with a happy expression on her face.

"CHECK IT OUT!" Taiga yelled as she attempted to behead Assassin with her bouken.

**Omake- Different Servants: Archer**

Rin blinked in shock and surprise as she looked into her (now wrecked) guest room once the dust had cleared. Just a few moments ago, she had attempted to summon a Servant for the Holy Grail War, hopefully one of the Saber class. However, not only did the Servant not appear in the center of the Summoning Array, but it appeared several rooms away. The Servant itself looked odd as he stirred on his 'throne' of rubble. He wore a black business suit with white rectangles that were placed in a manner that was _completely_ symmetrical. There were at least six rectangles along the seam where the sleeves attached to the jacket, and four rectangles that ran along the front. He had a white undershirt, and a metallic skull that rested under the collar. His hair was completely black with the exception being the left side, which had three horizontal lines running through it, ending directly in the middle of his head and throwing off his otherwise perfectly symmetrical form.

All in all, it was definitely _not_ the hero Rin had been hoping to summon.

"Greetings." The Servant stated as he gazed at Rin. "I am the Servant Archer. Are yo- _OH NO!"_ 'Archer' then got onto his feet and observed the wreckage with a completely horrified expression on his face. "What have I done? T-this completely wrecks any form of symmetry!"

"Why are you complaining about _symmetry_ of all things?" Rin asked with a slightly annoyed expression on her face, making the Servant look at her with a shocked expression.

"Symmetry is the key! It brings complete order to the universe!" Archer then pointed at her, or more accurately her outfit. "You are a perfect example of symmetry! Your outfit and hairstyle are completely the same on both sides!"

"But not even you are symmetrical! The left side of your hair does not match your right." Rin informed Archer, making his eyes widen in horror before he dropped onto the ground on his knees, put his face on the ground with his butt sticking upwards, and began to pound on the floor.

"You're right! I'm garbage!" Archer cried out pathetically as he pounded on the ground while Rin began to slowly and awkwardly inch away. "I'm a nobody! A disgrace! I'm garbage! Asymmetrical garbage! I don't deserve to live~!"

_"…This is just a dream…" _Rin thought to herself as she went to her room and plopped herself on her bed. _"I'm going to close my eyes, and when I wake up I will see the Servant Saber." _With that, Rin fell asleep. Truly hoping that the Servant she had summoned was the result of a shock and awe induced faint due to summoning Saber.

Unfortunately it wasn't as Rin found out the next morning after waking up and discovering all of her house had been completely remodeled (by Archer) to be completely symmetrical.

Thus began the partnership between Archer, once known as Death the Kid in life, and Tohsaka Rin.

To this day, Rin still can't go to the bathroom without having to fold the toilet paper in a perfect triangle.

**Note- Yo! It's TIM here with chapter six! I know that I promised that this chap would be focused on Waver, but I decided that we need to see how the other Masters are doing as well, resulting in the chapter that you just read. Anyways, please tell me if I kept the characters in character and what areas I need to improve in.**

**I would also like to mention that I really, _really_ want fan art of this fic, Fate:Zero Sense, and even Carnival Frenzy. Unfortunately I have zero drawing talent. So I'm asking you guys to please try to make some for me! What you guys make might become the cover of the fic! Also, check out and add to the combined TV Tropes page of both Fate:Zero Sense and Stay Away! **

**I would also like to thank Sir Godot for volunteering to beta this chap and help me out with the Servant stats. Wouldn't be as great without his help. Speaking of stats, here are Assassin's! **

Class: Assassin

Master: Sakura Matou

True Name: Black*Star

Sex: Male

Height/Weight: 165cm/58kg

Theme Song: Soul Eater OST- Black*Star (Never Loose Myself)

Alignment: Chaotic Good/Neutral

Strength: C+

Endurance: B

Agility: A

Mana: C+

Luck: B

Noble Phantasm: B++

_Class Skills-_

Presence Concealment- The capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant. It is a common skill to the Assassin class.

D++: Suitable for Spying. Should Assassin actually reign in his temperament this skill would increase to above A-Rank

_Personal Skills-_

Expert of Many Specializations- Access to and use of many expert skills.

C: Assassin is very proficient in the use of the ninja weapons his Noble Phantasm grants him access to.

Imperial Privilege- An ability that, due the insistence of the owner, Skills that are essentially impossible to possess can be obtained for a short period of time. In cases when the Rank is above A, even the "burden to the body" is acquired (such as Divinity).

B: For Assassin this includes the usage of Charisma, Eye of the Mind (True) and Magic Resistance. It can only be used for a short time though and puts quite a strain on the Master.

Instinct- The power to "feel" the most favorable developments for oneself during battle.

B: This is only effective as long as Assassin keeps a relatively calm mind.

Nature of a Rebellious Spirit- The temperament to never remain at one location and never embrace a lord. A wandering star that does not have the capacity to be king nor is capable of finding his own king. Negates the effects of Charisma with the same rank.

A: As someone who sees himself on top of the world, Assassin has a hard time following any orders to the degree that even Command Seals are weakened by a certain margin if they go against Assassin's conviction.

_Noble Phantasm-_

_Soul Wavelength__ "__The Light From Within":_ A: By using the power granted to him by his soul, Assassin can use various attacks that greatly increase his proficiency as an assassin such as Speed*Star, Black*Star Big Wave, Shield*Star, and Dummy*Star.

_Tsubaki__ "__My Body is Your Weapon":_B+: Assassin's Demon Weapon and partner in life. This Noble Phantasm can take the form of a Kusarigama, Shuriken, Ninja Sword, and a Smoke Bomb. This Noble Phantasm is the catalyst of the Uncanny Sword.

_Soul Resonance: __"__The Uncanny Sword of Demons":_ A: (Anti-Unit) A Demon Sword that has control over the shadows themselves. This sword greatly increases Assassin's skills and can combine its power with Tsubaki's various weapon forms.

**And please, review! Reviews fuel my muse, and the more I get the quicker the next chap will come out! So get reviewing!**

…**Please?**


	7. Fear And Loathing In Fuyuki City

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Bazette quickly and quietly put on her brown jacket before putting on her matching dark brown gloves which had runes inscribed on them that enhanced the strength of her blows. She was going out to what was most likely Caster's fortress, and it would not be out of the question that the Servant might have set a few 'surprises' there to keep out anyone it didn't want inside. _"Not to mention that it is possible that Caster might have cast a few spells on her Master to enhance his or her abilities." _Bazette thought to herself while buttoning up her jacket. _"Hopefully, Avenger can take Caster out quickly enough to make this an easy job."_

Avenger had laid out a simple but smart plan for their attack on Caster. While he distracted Caster, Bazette would seek out her Master. Either he killed Caster, getting rid of the Master's enchantments. Or she killed the Master, getting rid of the Servant's Prana supply.

Really, it all just depended on who killed who first.

"Hurry up, will you?" Avenger asked as he reclined on the couch and eyed her like _she_ was the one wasting _his_ time. "The more time you spend dressing up the more time our enemy has to prepare for any attack."

Bazette scowled as she began to walk towards the door. "I'm simply making sure I am prepared. It is stupid to pick a fight with a Master and not be fully prepared for whatever they may have in store."

"Yet it shouldn't take you this long Master." Avenger pointed out before he began to disappear from view. "No matter, let's get to the temple and end the Servant's strategic advantage."

Bazette nodded in agreement before opening the door and closing it behind her. As she began to walk down the hallway towards the elevator, her expression became a determined one. This was going to be her first true fight in the entire Holy Grail War.

Failure was not an option to her.

**_Elsewhere (Tohsaka Manor):_**

"…I see…" Aoi muttered to herself as she looked down at her lap. "Sakura's a Master then…"

"Yes. Edelfelt told me when she tried to fool me into joining with her." Rin said with a neutral expression on her face as she looked at her mother. While her mother did not need to be any more involved in the Holy Grail War than she already was, she deserved to know that Sakura was going to try to deny the Tohsaka's the Holy Grail.

Her mother had to know that Sakura was the enemy and that Rin might be forced to kill her if it came down to it.

"…" Aoi said nothing as she kept looking at her lap. Sakura, her daughter… _"No, she is a Matou now…"_ Aoi thought sadly to herself as her hands clenched into fists. She had long ago accepted that Sakura was no longer her daughter when Tokiomi, her husband, had told her it was the only way to keep both of them alive, so that her daughters would not have to fight over the Tohsaka Crest. This thought made her remember how she had met Kariya for the final time, in the park where they had talked, laughed, and played with both Sakura and Rin. He had looked at her with such a horrified expression on his face._ "No, don't think about it. He abandoned the life of a Magus. He did not understand…"_

From what Kirei told her after Tokiomi's funeral, Kariya had died in the Holy Grail War as the Master of Berserker. Apparently, he had been trying to win the Grail for Zouken so that he would let Sakura go. Instead he had died near the end and Zouken for whatever reason had died shortly afterwards. She had seen Sakura visit Kariya's grave at the cemetery several times, but had never been able to work up the courage to speak with her.

And now, she might never be able to do so.

"Hey, I'm still saying that you might want to give that Edelfelt girl a chance Rin. She might be on to something…" Archer suggested while walking around the room, poking at the numerous objects that were in it with a bored expression on his face.

"Kirei is many things, Archer. He is perverted, a creep, lazy, and an Otaku. But he is smart enough to know that if something like that _was_ true, his head would be the first on the chopping block when the Association and the Church come to 'clean up'." Rin muttered out while eying at her Servant, who just raised his hands in a mock-surrender.

"Look, I'm just saying that she looked pretty serious about the whole 'the Grail is corrupted' thing. It's your call whether we trust her or not." Archer said with a sigh while looking at Aoi. "…Are you going to be alright?"

"Oh, yes Archer-san. I will be fine." Aoi muttered out, making Rin sigh before she turned to Archer.

"Come on, we are going out to look for the other Servants. They will most likely be scouting the city already and I would prefer that we find them before they find us." Rin informed Archer while putting on her sunglasses. Her Servant just shrugged and lifted himself from the couch before following Rin.

When Aoi was sure that she was alone in the room, she allowed numerous tears to leave her eyes before sobbing into her hands.

**_Elsewhere (Mitsuduri Residence):_**

Waver quietly closed the door behind him as he slowly walked to the front yard of the house. It had been a relatively peaceful day, despite his meeting with Sola-Ui. He had returned home after their talk and had been hit with a barrage of questions from Cristina about the 'red-haired woman'. He had been able to satisfy her by saying that she was an old friend of his during his time in the Fourth War, but it did not stop her from declaring that she would make the woman a part of Waver's 'harem'. And she did it right in front of Jin, Kamachi, _and_ Ayako!

Waver had never been so mortified in his life.

…_not_ counting the time when Kamina had dropped them out of the sky during Lancer and Saber's battle.

"So, we ready to go?" Rider asked as he materialized in front of Waver, wearing the clothes he had been summoned in instead of his usual civilian clothes.

"Yeah, sorry I took so long. Cristina wouldn't let me go." Waver muttered while rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Sometimes Waver thought that his wife was the descendant of an anaconda.

"No worries. I couldn't escape from my own bed when Nia slept with me." Rider told Waver with a smile while looking into the night sky. "Those were great times…"

Waver eyed the nodachi Rider had strapped onto his waist. Rider had apparently decided to use Kamina's nodachi as his weapon, not that Waver had any problem with it. After all, Rider was Kamina's 'bro' and thus deserved to have it.

"Tch, look at me getting all mopey…" Rider said jokingly before taking off his necklace and gripping the small drill in his fingers. "Might as well get this show on the road." Rider then took a deep breath before pointing the drill to the sky with his eyes closed and muttering, "_My Drill Is My Soul_." He then twisted the small drill like a key, and Waver saw a small beam of light go into the sky. Then, a green portal opened in front of them. And slowly but surely came out…

_"Lagann!_" Waver thought with joy as he saw the miniature mecha that he and Kamina had ridden around in once more. Rider himself grinned as he patted the mecha on its 'head'.

"Great to see you again buddy." Rider then hopped into the cockpit before gripping the controls and shouting, "What are you waiting for? Come on!"

Waver quickly jumped onto Lagann and sat on the edge of the cockpit with his feet on Lagann's right 'shoulder'. Rider grinned as two thrusters came out of Lagann's back before spewing out green energy, launching the mecha into the sky.

Waver smiled as he felt the wind rush through his hair as he looked over Fuyuki City at night. _"Just like old times…"_

Cristina smiled as she watched Rider and her husband disappear into the night sky before whispering, "Stay safe…"

**_Elsewhere (Emiya Residence):_**

"ALRIGHT!" Assassin yelled as he pumped his fist into the air while sitting at the kitchen table. "I've been waiting to show the other heroes what a big star I am!"

"I do agree that attempting to locate the other Servants is a wise choice." Saber said with a slight inclination of her head. "However Shirou, I still highly suggest that you stay here."

"Saber, I'll be fine." Shirou said with a sigh as he put away the dry dishes with Sakura. It had been a fairly easy night since school had ended. He, Sakura, and Luvia had returned to their respective homes until dinnertime, when Sakura came over and helped him cook dinner like usual. Maiya had come home late as usual and Assassin had just barged in without even asking for permission to enter. Saber had then joined in the meal and had practically eaten everything. _"Where does it all go?_" Shirou thought once more with a woeful shake of his head as he put away the last plate.

"I will be providing Shirou with the necessary tools in order for him to fight should he have to." Maiya spoke up as she walked over to a drawer and opened it.

"Huh? You're giving me something?" Shirou asked with confusion as he looked at Maiya.

"Yes." Maiya said before taking out a small wooden box. She then opened it, revealing a Thompson Contender with silver bullets held in place below it.

"T-that's a gun…" Sakura whispered as she looked at the tool with wide eyes while Maiya tossed it to Shirou, who caught it.

"It was your father's until after the Holy Grail War. He put it away for safe keeping, in case any of his enemies discovered that he was here." Maiya informed Shirou before holding one of the bullets between her fingers. "These bullets are specifically designed to combat any type of Magus. You simply need them to focus all their Prana towards defending and the bullet does the rest of the work.

"Do they kill them?" Shirou asked as he opened the Thompson Contender and looked into the empty barrel.

"…It is a distinct possibility that they might. However if they do survive their Circuits will be completely destroyed and they will never be able to use magic again." Maiya informed him, making Sakura look at the gun with newfound levels of horror, Assassin stare at it with a somewhat curious expression on his face, and Shirou stare at it with a determined expression on his face.

"Why didn't Kiritsugu use this during the war, Maiya?" Saber asked calmly, only for Maiya to shake her head.

"He did use it, Saber. Except you were not there to see him do so." Maiya informed Saber, who looked at her suspiciously. Just who could have forced Kiritsugu to use such a deadly weapon during the Holy Grail War?

"Well, whatever!" Assassin yelled as he suddenly got up and began walking around the room. "He won't even have to use it since I'll be the one taking out all the Servants in a heartbeat! The Masters will probably turn tail and run after that!"

"You should never underestimate your opponents, Assassin." Saber said simply, making Assassin slightly glare at her before seeming to lose all interest.

Suddenly, a knock echoed from the door before Luvia's voice shouted, "Shirou, it's time!"

"Alright! We'll be right there!" Shirou shouted back before stashing away the Contender in the back of his pants and using his shirt to cover the handle. He then turned to Maiya and picked up five bullets before saying, "We'll be back soon, Maiya-san." Shirou and Sakura then began to leave towards the door with Assassin and Saber following them.

"You better." Maiya muttered to herself as she looked at her reflection in her drink.

**_Elsewhere (Ryuudouji Temple):_**

Caster observed her Master as he graded the papers of his numerous students while she sipped another cup of tea in silence. She had been spending the past few days relatively restricted to the temple, and while she would prefer to go out and hunt for the other Servants, it was wiser to simply stay and gather her strength sparingly from the leyline under the temple. Not enough that would actually kill the people of the town of course, but enough for her to be at full strength should she fight a Servant.

"Master, shouldn't we use this time to find the other Servants?" Caster asked as she set down her cup and eyed her Master. "I have waited patiently like you have asked, and while I have brought relative order to this temple I am growing restless."

"…" Souichirou stopped scribbling with his pencil in thought. True, Caster initially had no problem with staying inside of the temple, but even he could see that staying here was making her restless. She had even 'disciplined' Reikan when he got a bit too rambunctious for her liking. _"Considering this is a war, and considering she had told me that this temple is a 'leyline', it might be best if we go out to find the other Servants."_ "If you wish to do so, I have no problem leaving this place for a bit."

Caster could not help but blink at her Master's willingness to follow her course of action. It was like he was simply following her orders and nothing else. She knew that he had no interest in the Holy Grail, but this over willingness to do anything she said was starting to irk her. "Hm, very well. Let us…" She then stopped speaking and her eyes widened before she looked out the window.

"What is it Caster?" Souichirou questioned while looking at her, now truly setting down the pencil.

"A Servant is coming to the temple." Caster replied while her eyes narrowed and her clothes turned to the Heart Kreuz Armor. "I will go and intercept the enemy. You may join me if you wish Master." Caster then dashed away from the room, leaving Souichirou alone.

Souichirou simply remained alone for a second before calmly getting up and walking to the direction that Caster sped off to. Meanwhile, he simply cracked his knuckles in anticipation for the coming battle.

**_Elsewhere (Outside The Temple):_**

Avenger climbed up the steps of the temple right beside Bazette and looked at the entrance. So far, there was no one there, which meant that Assassin hadn't been summoned by Caster to become the resident watchdog. _"Well, this will make the job a lot easier I suppose…"_ Avenger thought to himself with a slight smirk on his face. He remembered the Assassins of the 'correct' Holy Grail War fairly well. That samurai had given his Saber and the other Servants enough trouble despite not being properly suited for the Class. And the 'True' Assassin had been even _more_ terrifying and skilled than the samurai. And whatever fictional character was summoned as Assassin, if any, was probably just as much as a pain in the ass as the ones he knew.

"Go no further!" A booming, powerful, and very _female_ voice shouted, making Avenger and Bazette stop in their tracks.

Avenger glanced at the Servant at the top of the steps and thought, "_Erza Scarlet… How the Hell was she assigned to the Caster class?"_

"I am the Servant Caster of the Fifth Holy Grail War." Caster declared while pointing her fairly plain broadsword at Avenger. "What is your class, Servant?"

Avenger did not answer and simply materialized Kanshou and Bakuya into his hands before racing towards the Servant and bringing down both blades onto her, forcing Caster to raise her sword and guard against the blow.

"Go Bazette!" Avenger shouted, making Bazette nod and pass by them within a second.

Caster narrowed her eyes at Avenger and pushed him off of her without much trouble. "I detest people…" Caster then shot towards Avenger and swung her sword at him. "…Who do not answer my questions!"

"Aren't you the impatient one?" Avenger asked mockingly as he parried the blow away and jumped towards the forest, Caster following him the entire way. She then swung her sword several more times, Avenger parrying them away with ease in mid air before they both landed on the ground. Dust scattered everywhere as they got back up and eyed each other. "I am Avenger."

"Avenger?" Caster questioned with a confused expression, only for Avenger to smirk.

"Yep, and I'm probably the worst opponent you could have in this war." Avenger informed her before saying, _"Trace on…"_ Bakuya and Kanshou then disappeared, only for a new weapon to be held in Avenger's right hand.

Vajra, the indestructible diamond pounder held by the gods of Buddhism and the symbol of the divinity of Indra. He had copied this B+ Rank Noble Phantasm years ago during his battle with Gilgamesh, but never had had much use for it until today. He then threw the double-sided hammer at Caster, bolts of lightning crackling from it as it zoomed in on her.

Caster's eyes widened at the zooming object. She could tell that it was no ordinary weapon, but a Noble Phantasm. She quickly had her armor change before the object hit, obscuring her form with dirt, dust, and bolts of lightning.

_"That was too easy…"_ Avenger thought while narrowing his eye as the dust cleared. Caster was now wearing a large, blue and navy colored armor. The breastplate was composed of different plates joined together, with four, prominent tube-like ornaments on the front, right above her breasts, and below the high armored collar. The shoulder pads were very large and sport prominent plates shaped like spikes, protruding from a far darker part, which composed the base of the structure. The armor was completed by a helmet which covered the top and the sides of Caster's face, leaving the back part of her head exposed, and sporting prominent spikes jutting outwards. The armor, which was probably pristine just a second ago, was now covered in scorch marks. The shoulder plates were now slightly cracked, and Caster was now openly glaring at him. _"Well then…"_ Avenger thought to himself as Bakuya and Kanshou appeared in his hands once more while Caster's armor began to glow once more. _"This is going to take a while…"_

Bazette raced towards the temple entrance, ignoring the sounds of battle and clashing metal echoing behind her. Avenger was doing his job with distracting Caster, and she had to do hers. _"Still, that Caster looked better suited for the Saber class…"_ Bazette thought to herself with a small grimace on her face. _"Definitely had the chivalry for it…"_

The door to the temple then suddenly opened, making Bazette stop in her tracks to see a bespectacled man wearing a dark green suit stare at her with serious eyes. _"A civilian?"_ Bazette asked herself before noticing the dark red marks he had on his left hand. _"No, he is a Master. But why can't I sense and Mana coming from him? Is he a regular man?"_ "Surrender." Bazette spoke up while the man began to walk towards her. "This is a fight you cannot win. Surrender your Command Seals and I will not be forced to take your life."

The man said nothing and simply took off his glasses before storing them in his beast pocket and shifted into a somewhat strange martial arts stance. _"He doesn't know what he's getting himself into…"_ Bazette thought to herself as she shifted into her own stance and activated the runes on her legs and arms. "_But I better make this quick…"_ She then rushed forward, idly noticing how the man's eyes widened at her speed, before throwing her fist forward…

…Only to hit air as the man shifted to the right in order to avoid the blow. His clothes rippled a bit from the wind made by the strike before throwing his own fist towards her head. Bazette inclined her head backwards to avoid it, only for the arm to literally _twist_ towards her side and strike her ribs _hard_. "Gh…" Bazette muttered in pain as she jumped backwards. While her clothes were Reinforced so that she wouldn't receive that much damage from attacks, that _hurt_. If her clothes were not Reinforced, the blow would have probably broken a few of her ribs. _"That style… was it Snake?"_

Souichirou inspected his right hand, which had struck the woman with narrowed eyes as he moved the fingers a bit. That blow, which for all intents and purposed should have broken at least three ribs, had felt like it had struck a brick wall. Not only that, but the woman seemed to be only suffering from some minor discomfort. He could also tell from the strike she had tried to hit him with earlier had been stronger than it had appeared. _"So this is a Magus…"_ Souichirou thought to himself while looking at the woman once more. _"If I wish to end this quickly, I must strike her in the head." _With that thought, he launched forward only for the woman to throw numerous punches at him. Souicirou dodged most of the blows, only for one to hit his right shoulder. Her grimaced in pain before landing a palm strike in the woman's stomach, knocking her away as he inspected the damage. _"It is broken, without a doubt."_ Souichirou thought grimly as his right arm twitched. _"But perhaps I can still use it…"_

_"He's good. But he's still a regular man without any magic to speak of."_ Bazette thought to herself before running towards Souichirou and attempting to kick him in the chest. However, Soichirou forced his now broken arm to knock away the leg before using his left arm to punch towards Bazette's face, only for it to change direction and strike Bazette in the back of her head. Her eyes widened in shock and she stumbled away. She placed her hand on top of her head as she attempted to look at Souichirou. _"Damn it! My vision's getting blurry! This is bad!"_

**_Back With Caster And Avenger:_**

Avenger grimaced in pain as a strike tore a gash into his shoulder. He then looked towards Caster, who was now looking at him with narrowed eyes. _"She's fast…"_ Caster had exchanged her previous armor for an outfit that couldn't even be _considered_ armor. It was cheetah printed, and the outfit has a large collar around Caster's neck and a tail hanging from the back of her shorts, both made of bushy fur, plus a pair of large cheetah's ears adorning both sides of Caster's head. The 'armor' also gave Avenger a pretty good view of her cleavage, which happened to be _very_ big. _"Seriously, who the Hell designed that thing for her?"_ He then noticed the two swords she held in her hands, which happened to be short swords with rose-like hand guards and grinned. _"Analysis start…"_ Avenger then hypothesized the swords' basic structure and mentally began to go through the other steps of Tracing with relative ease. Apparently, despite Caster's fictional origin, he could copy her tools as easily as any Noble Phantasm. "_Trace on!_" Avenger shouted before two exact copies of Caster's swords appeared into his hands, making her eyes widen in shock.

"H-how did you…?" Caster questioned while pointing at the sword copies in his hands.

"Now you see why I'm your worst opponent in this war." Avenger informed her with a smirk before Reinforcing his legs and shooting forward. The two then exchanged blows at equally fast and precise strikes and parries.

_"Avenger's skill is… bothersome…" _Caster thought to herself with irritation as she knocked away each of the blows. _"I need for this to end soon. Avenger's Master is a Magus, and I do not know how long Master will last."_ Caster then closed her eyes and mentally ordered, _"The Knight."_ Her armor then began to change once more. It was dark red predominantly, but also sported orange and black parts, with the first ones being shaped like flames and the second resembling dragon's limbs. It was basically made up of three different parts: the revealing breastplate with dragon like wings attached to it, the orange gauntlets and the dragon claw shaped greaves. _"Flame Empress Armor."_ Caster confirmed before glaring at Avenger and rearing back her large dark red bastard sword, flames gathering around the blade, before swinging it at Avenger and unleashing a huge blast of fire at the Servant.

_"Oh crap!_" Avenger thought as he jumped away from the blast, which engulfed numerous trees in its flames before going to the temple's courtyard. He then noticed Bazette on the defensive against Souichirou and clicked his tongue in annoyance. _"Don't tell me I have to help y…"_

"YAHOO!" A loud, high-pitched voice shouted before something hit Avenger in the chest _hard_. Avenger skidded back several feet as none other than Assassin landed where he previously stood. "Black*Star is now on stage!"

_"…Don't tell me this idiot is Assassin…"_ Avenger thought with annoyance before Lancer jumped right beside Assassin and eyed Avenger with her usual neutral expression.

"Two more Servants?" Bazette asked herself with shock in her tone, not even noticing that Souichirou stopped as well and looked towards the three teenagers who were running up the steps and into his view.

_"Matou, Edelfelt, and Emiya are Masters?"_ Souichirou thought to himself with relative shock. Of everything he expected to face in this 'war', his students were not on that list.

"Kuzuki-sensei?" Shirou asked before looking around. "Wait, where is…?"

A clang of metal was then heard in the night air, and Caster landed right in front of the three teens followed shortly by Saber.

"Ah, you must be Saber." Caster intoned with a smile on her face before looking around. "Did this fight really cause this much attention?"

"Lancer and Assassin sensed two Servants fighting, and the smoke rising into the air indicated for it to be true." Saber admitted while looking at the Servant. Despite her… _questionably decent_ armor, Saber could tell this woman was a swordswoman. "What is your class?"

Caster smiled slightly at the Servant before informing her, "I am Caster, Servant Saber."

"Woah! Looks like we stumbled onto one Hell of a party Rin!" A new voice shouted, making all the Servants and Master turn to see Archer grinning happily with Rin behind him.

"Tohsaka…" Luvia growled out while glaring at her rival. She should have known that she would join in on this fight. Well, no matter. She had made her choice earlier at school. And Luvia would not lose any sleep if she killed Rin in the ensuing fight.

"Tohsaka-sempai…" Sakura muttered as she looked at her estranged sister, who looked back at her. Her eyes were hidden by the round orange sunglasses.

"Sakura…" Rin began to say before childish laughter echoed through the air. Everyone then looked towards the steps to see both Berserker and Illyasviel.

Illyasviel smiled happily as she narrowed her eyes at Shirou. "Well, I'm surprised to see you here Onii-chan. With your Servant and the other six as well." She then looked at Berserker before ordering, "Berserker, kill them all."

Berserker said nothing as he got in front of Illyasviel before saying to everyone in general, "I do not want to fight any of you, but..." He then shifted his legs slightly while glaring at them. "I _will_ win this war for both me and her!"

Archer quickly shot a bullet at Berserker without a word, which hit the Servant right through the left side of his chest and out of his back, spilling blood on his otherwise pristine white outfit. After this, Berserker looked back at the Servants, except now his eyes glowed with a light blue hue, and a white mouth piece slid over his face.

**_Elsewhere (Kotomine Church):_**

"It's about freaking time!" Wade yelled out as he spied on the upcoming fight through his sniper scope. "I was thinking that TIM would never get this chapter out!"

"Well, I suppose that real life is a factor." Kirei commented while standing beside Wade and looking at the general direction of the temple. "It is a shame that he's not getting paid to do this. Otherwise he would have far more motivated to write."

"Curse the one who created the school system!" Wade shouted to the heavens while shaking his fist. "I never went to school in the comics, and I turned out fine!"

"We don't know that for sure. Marvel was never clear on your origin." Kirei pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "First they say you stole your name from T-Ray, then that little tid-bit got itself retconned. Then in 'Cable And Deadpool' it said that you were an alcoholic punk whose friend accidentally killed your military dad."

"Well, like the Joker once said: If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" Wade said with a laugh before looking back into his scope. "So, what do you think is going to happen in this big brawl?"

"Knowing TIM he probably got inspired by Fate/Zero. _Again_." Kirei told Wade with a roll of his eyes. "Seriously, why does our author have to have a hard-on for the _prequel_ of all things?"

"You have to admit, Fate/Zero was as epic as the Heaven's Feel route." Wade said before raising his hand. "Anyway, pass the popcorn. This is going to get good."

**_Back To The Fight {Play Fate/Zero OST- The Battle Is To The Strong}:_**

Without another word, Berserker _flew_ across the ground towards Shirou with his fist reared back. However, in a second Saber was in front of him and blocked the strike with the flat of her sword. Saber grimaced in pain as the ground under her cracked and buckled. _"Berserker's strength… It's incredible!"_ She thought to herself before Berserker seemed to grip her sword and lifted himself into the air, rearing back his right leg for a kick.

"_A.T Field_." Lancer's monotonous voice commanded before a pillar of multi-colored hexagonal shapes slammed into Berserker's chest, making him fly several feet away from Saber. Saber looked back to Lancer to see her left hand outstretched with Assassin glaring at Berserker. "It would be wise that we plan a strategy to eliminate Berserker." Lancer informed her and Assassin as she looked at the Servant in question, her eyes slightly narrowed as Berserker's leg muscles seemed to _bulge_.

"Screw that!" Assassin yelled out as _Tsubaki_ appeared in his hands. "Let's take him out before he gets a chance to recover!" With that, he threw the scythe held in his left hand at Berserker, only for him to disappear at the last second with a small foot-sized crater marking where he previously was. "Huh?"

_"Black*Star! Above you!"_ Tsubaki's voice rang out in his head, making him look up to see Berserker falling towards him with his right leg raised, preparing for an axe-kick.

"Crap! _Tsubaki: Smoke Bomb Mode_!" Assassin yelled before him and Berserker were enveloped in a large and dense cloud of smoke.

Berserker's foot, rather than meeting its target, instead hit only stone and scattered it everywhere. Berserker scanned the now clouded area for a second before a large, bloody gash went across his chest. The cloud then cleared, revealing Lancer with her spear dripping blood before she kicked him. However, her leg was caught by Berserker's right hand, and with little effort he lifted her into the air and slammed her back into the ground.

"GHA!" Lancer cried out in pain as blood and saliva flew out of her mouth.

"Lancer! Damn it!" Shirou shouted as he began to reach into his back, only for Luvia to place her hand on his arm.

"No Shirou! That is _Berserker! _If you attack him he'll try to kill you again!" Luvia shouted to Shirou, who just grimaced in frustration.

"Please Sempai…" Sakura whispered, making Shirou turn to her to see her pleading eyes. "Don't do it…"

Shirou clenched his fists at this. He _wanted _to help, he really did! But… _"I can't become a protector of justice if I get myself killed…"_ Shirou thought to himself bitterly.

"Get away from her!" Assassin shouted as he threw _Tsubaki_, now in her shuriken form, at Berserker. Only for him to let go of Lancer and catch _Tsubaki_ before throwing it back at Assassin. As it zoomed in on him, Saber appeared once more and swatted the Noble Phantasm away before Assassin caught it in mid-air.

"So this is a true Berserker…" Saber whispered to herself as she clenched Excalibur. The last Berserker had seemed to _enjoy_ fighting, but had still held onto his sanity. _This_ Berserker however, seemed to lose all coherent thought as soon as he was attacked and only set out to destroy its enemies.

_"Berserker is too dangerous of an opponent…"_ Rin thought to herself bitterly before turning to Archer and shouting, "Archer! Assist them and take out Berserker!"

"Got ya Rin!" Archer shouted before he fired one shot, going directly through Berserker's forehead. However, instead of dying, Berserker seemed to only stumble before turning his attention to Archer. "Oh crap!"

"GAAAHHH!" Caster shouted before rearing back her sword and unleashed a huge wave of flames at Berserker, who just jumped away before zooming in on her.

"Sorry, but that is as far as you go." Avenger intoned before raising his hand towards Berserker. _"Trace on."_ Suddenly, numerous swords of different sizes, shapes, and styles appeared behind him and launched themselves towards both Caster and Berserker.

_"Avenger, you…!" _Caster thought with anger before jumping back to (barely) avoid the swords. They zoomed in on Berserker, and impaled the 'mad' Servant numerous times in his body, legs, and arms, pinning him to the ground with blood seeping through the wounds.

_"Damn. I missed…"_ Avenger thought bitterly to himself as he lowered his arm. He had been aiming for Caster as well, hoping to kill two birds with one stone, but she was too quick. _"Oh well, I'll handle her next time. The main issue is Berserker. If it was Robot Hunter Casshern, then he's done for. But if it's…" _A sword then sped towards him, forcing Avenger to make it disappear before it impaled him in his head. Avenger narrowed his eye and let out a small groan. _"Great. It's THAT Casshern…"_

Bazette could not help but gape as Berserker lifted itself to its feet and threw away the swords that impaled him like they were nothing but annoying bugs. _"J-Just what kind of monster did the Einzbern's summon?"_

It was a thought that was practically shared by everyone at the temple… except one.

_"Berserker is…. Amazing!" _Illyasviel thought with glee as she saw her Servant stumble a bit, but otherwise looked ready for battle once more. She then looked at Shirou, who was still gaping with the two women beside him at Berserker, before thinking, _"Hah! Soon, you'll pay Onii-chan! I'll make Berserker tear your Servant and those two limb from limb before your eyes!"_

Lancer narrowed her eyes at Berserker. It seemed like bodily wounds would have no affect on him. _"Thus, it is logical that the only way to kill him is to remove the head."_ Lancer thought to herself as she rushed past her two allies towards Berserker and swung her spear in an ark towards Berserker's neck…

Only for Berserker to catch it just a centimeter from his neck before turning around, rearing back his hand, and made it shoot forwards. Lancer gasped as Berserker's hand tore through her chest and exited through her back, still clenching her beating heart before crushing it. Lancer let out a strangled gasp as blood dripped from her mouth.

"LANCER!" Shirou, Luvia, Sakura, Assassin, and Saber shouted as Berserker threw Lancer's limp body from his arm and to the floor.

"_LAGANN IMPACT!"_ A new voice shouted at the top of his lungs before the one and only Lagann slammed into Berserker, a huge drill replacing its bottom, and tore a bloody hole through the Servant's chest.

Saber's eyes widened as she spotted the two figures riding the _familiar_ mecha. One looked like that boy who was the last war's Master of Rider. But he seemed to have grown a few inches, let his hair grow, and now wore a red coat that had Rider's symbol on it. The other was a man who had spiky blue hair, a _blue_ coat with a red version of Rider's symbol on it, and wore goggles with yellow lenses over his eyes. _"Is this the new Rider?"_ Saber thought in shock as the small mecha jumped off of Berserker, and Rider's Master jumped off the small mecha.

"He's not dead yet." Waver mentioned while narrowing his eyes. "If what we've seen before is any indication, then he'll be back up in a second."

"I know." Rider replied while Lagann's hands shifted into small but sharp drills. "But I won't even give him a chance to fight back."

_"Simon the Digger…"_ Avenger thought blandly before looking up to the heavens and shouting, "FUCK!"

"Amazing…" Shirou whispered as he looked at the newly arrived pair before looking at Saber, who seemed to be frozen in shock. "Saber?"

"He was right…" Saber whispered shakily as she looked at Rider with wide eyes. "He was right…"

Suddenly, with a loud wet *squelch*, Berserker lifted himself up again once more and looked at Rider with his still glowing eyes.

"What's it going to take to kill this guy?" Assassin asked with an annoyed expression as he readied himself for anything, Saber gripped Excalibur harder, Avenger and Caster shifted into their respective combat stances, and Archer aimed his gun at Berserker once more.

"Berserker! Stop!" Illyasviel shouted at the top of her lungs. "Stop fighting! That's enough!"

With that, the glow in Berserker's eyes disappeared and the mouthpiece slipped back.

"Gh…gh…" Berserker said with a trembling voice as he gripped his sides. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes as the wounds seemed to _meld together_. "GGGGGHHHHHHAAAAAAA~!" Berserker shouted in pain as the wounds completely closed, as if they were never there.

_"Damn it…" _Rider thought with narrowed eyes as Berserker gasped in pain. _"This guy is going to be tough to beat…"_

"Berserker…" Illyasviel muttered softly, making Berserker look at her. "That's enough. Let's go home." Berserker could only weakly nod as he jumped towards Illyasviel and then picked her up. "I'll see you later Onii-chan." Illyasviel informed Shirou while glaring at her. "We'll play some more the next time we meet." With that Berserker jumped into the distance with Illyasviel in his arms.

"Lancer!" Luvia shouted, snapping out of her stupor and running towards her Servant's body and picking it up in her arms. "No…"

Caster cast a look at the scene before looking at both Rin and Bazette with cold eyes and saying, "Leave this place. _Now._"

"What makes you so sure that we will?" Avenger asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked back at Caster.

"I'll help her out in _kicking_ you out if you don't." Rider said while glaring at them as well.

"…Avenger, let's go. We do not have the advantage in numbers here." Bazette said after a moment of silence before beginning to walk towards the steps. Avenger eyed her and then Shirou for a second before shrugging his shoulders and dissipating frown view.

_"Damn…"_ Rin thought as she looked at the 'opposition' in front of her. She _could _refuse to leave, but then Archer would have to face the combined might of Saber, Rider, Caster, and Assassin.

Not the most favorable of odds.

"Archer! We're leaving!" Rin declared before turning around and walking away with Archer following behind her. As she passed Sakura, Shirou, and Luvia she eyed Sakura for a minute. As Sakura looked back at her, she said, "I will not hold back." With that, Archer wrapped his arm around Rin's waist before they jumped into the distance.

As soon as she disappeared, Lancer's body burst into orange liquid. "W-what…?" Luvia muttered in shock as the fluids began to gather in front of her and, right in front of gathered Servants and Masters' disbelieving eyes, formed a female shape. The liquids then solidified, and the body began to grow hair and its skin began to color into a pale white. It was Lancer, looking completely unharmed…

…and _very_ naked.

"Gh-gh-GHHHHHAAAAAAA!" Assassin yelled as he looked at the naked Lancer with wide eyes and some blood dripping down his nose. Sakura, Saber, Rider, Waver, Caster and Luvia's faces turned completely red while Shirou covered his face and eyes before looking away.

"L-Lancer!" Saber shouted as she pointed at the Servant. "H-how…?"

"It is my Noble Phantasm, _Madness of Man_." Lancer said simply before turning towards Saber, seemingly unashamed by the fact that _everyone_ could see _everything_. "It allows me to be revived a certain amount of times after being killed."

"D-disappear Lancer! M-men can see you!" Luvia shouted in a flustered tone while Lancer tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion.

"…As you wish Master." Lancer spoke softly before dissipating from view. While everyone was staring towards where Lancer previously was, Saber seemed to put her hand to her chest with a frustrated expression.

Did_ every_ woman have to be bigger than her?

"GHHHAAAA~!" Assassin kept on shouting before a shuriken came out of nowhere and imbedded into his forehead. He then fell on his back, trying to close the fountain of blood that was spewing out.

"Do you have to do this _every_ time Black*Star?" Tsubaki muttered while lowering her hand, a tick of frustration still on her brow.

Caster's eyes narrowed as she pointed her sword at Tsubaki and ordered, "Identify yourself!"

"I-I'm just Bla-I mean Assassin's Noble Phantasm. I mean you no harm so long as you don't attack us." Tsubaki informed Caster before looking at Souichirou. "Do you need help with your arm?"

"….No." Souichirou told her in a bland tone before clutching his broken shoulder. "I can handle myself."

"A Noble Phantasm that can become a person?" Waver muttered to himself as he placed his hand on his chin. "Have to admit, these Servants are truly something else…"

"So, these Servants are stronger than the ones bro fought?" Rider asked as he looked at his Master, only for him to shake his head.

"No, that one was the Saber of the last war. Don't know why she is here again though…" Waver informed him while pointing at Saber, who kept looking at Rider.

"…Hm. She must've given bro a hard time in the last war…" Rider muttered while frowning at Saber.

"He wasn't that big of a fan towards her ideals." Waver responded before Saber stepped forward.

"Tell me. This 'bro' of yours was… the Rider of the last war?" Saber asked, to which Rider nodded.

"That's right." Rider answered, making Saber look down.

"And you… took his place as leader in you legend?" Saber asked, albeit this time with a shaky tone.

"You bet. Bro died for his dream, and I continued onwards with it until we accomplished it." Rider said with a happy tone and a wide grin as he looked to the sky. "We pierced the heavens, and even beyond that…"

_"So, his ideals were the right ones…"_ Saber thought to herself while looking at the ground, not allowing any tears to fall from her eyes. _"…If I had inspired my knights with my ideals like Rider did, would Britain still be…?"_

"Saber?" Shirou questioned, making Saber turn and see him looking at her worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine Shirou…" Saber muttered as she looked behind him to see Assassin running around trying to stop the flow of blood with his Noble Phantasm in human form constantly apologizing while Sakura looked on with concern. Luvia seemed to be trying hard not to giggle while Caster had a small smirk and her Master just looked on with a neutral expression.

"Well, we'll be going now." Rider declared, making everyone turn back to him. "It's getting late, and we need our sleep after all."

"Guess you're right." Waver agreed before jumping onto Lagann's edge and hanging on as the thrusters came out of its back. "I hope we meet again soon!" With that, Lagann went up into the air, leaving Shirou, Saber, Assassin, Tsubaki, Luvia, Caster, and Souichirou alone.

"K-Kuzuki-sensei…" Sakura muttered as she looked at the teacher with worried eyes. "Will you…?"

"I will not attack you in school if that is what you are asking." Souichirou informed them while turning around and heading towards the entrance of the temple. "But if you attack me or Caster, I will show no remorse in cutting you down."

_"I never knew Kuzuki-sensei was so cold…"_ Shirou thought with a frown while Caster looked at Saber with a smile.

"I do hope that we can continue our battle soon, Saber." Caster mentioned, receiving a slight smile from Saber.

"As do I, Caster." Saber responded before Caster turned around and followed her Master back into the temple.

"We should go Shirou." Luvia said with a sigh as she got up. "We just confirmed the identities of the other Masters, and have seen some of their Servants' strengths and weaknesses."

"Yeah, you're right." Shirou agreed before looking at Saber. "Let's go home." With that, the group began to descend the steps of Ryuudouji Temple.

However, their battles had only just begun.

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake****- It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"At long last, the Taiga dojo has returned!" Taiga cheered out while wearing a party hat as confetti rained down from the ceiling with the banner 'We're Back!' in the background.

"You shouldn't celebrate _that_ much Sensei." Illyasviel chided as she walked into the room. "TIM's only been gone for a couple of weeks…"

"FOOL! A few weeks are a lifetime in the world of fanfiction!" Taiga yelled before hugging the 'camera'. "And my adoring fans missed me, didn't you sweeties?"

"Well, I'm just happy that my Berserker proved he was the strongest Servant around and I got to see Onii-chan!" Illyasviel informed her before turning to the 'audience'. "Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'After Shit Goes Down Part 2'!"

"Check it out!" Taiga cheered happily before sighing. "God, it's good to be back…"

**Note-**** If there's something strange, in your email box~! Guess who it is~? THE INFAMOUS MAN! That's right folks, I am back in action! Sorry for the delay in this chapter, but real life got a bit busy. Anyway, a LOT has happened during my little 'vacation'. The first piece of Fate:Zero Sense Fanart came in (Which everyone can see on my profile) and someone took my 'Shirou summons Nero' challenge! The guy's name is Agitated Animator, and the title of the story is _The Artist And The Faker_. I highly suggest that you guys check it out. **

**Also, I've decided to be nice and give you Berserker's stats…**

Class: Berserker

Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern

True Name: Casshern

Sex: Male

Height/Weight: 183cm/75kg

Theme Song: Casshern Sins OST- A Path

Alignment: Neutral Mad

Strength: A+

Endurance: A

Agility: A+

Mana: A-

Luck: E-

Noble Phantasm: A

_Class Skills-_

Mad Enhancement- Raises basic parameters in exchange of hindering mental capacities. In some cases, also seals away Personal Skills.

C: Rank up for all parameters except Luck and Mana, but in exchange one can no longer think and speak properly. In Berserker's case this ability is only unlocked through his Noble Phantasm "Bringer of Ruin".

_Personal Skills-_

Battle Continuation- The strength of vitality for predicaments. Also, the ability to withdraw from combat and reach allied territory alive after being defeated.

A: Makes possible to fight even with deadly injuries and can remain alive so long as one does not receive a decisive fatal wound.

Instinct- The power to "feel" the most favorable developments for oneself during battle.

B+: Possesses a refined sixth sense. Bonus effect of reducing the penalties caused by obstructed vision and hearing by 30%.

Monstrous Strength- An ability possessed by monsters and beasts, temporary boost of the Strength parameter by one rank for a time limit determined by the ranking of this skill.

A+: At this point one cannot even be called a beast or monster anymore, but rather a force of nature given form. This strength was part of the reason why Berserker was seen as a personification of death on his world.

Natural Body- The possession of a perfect body as a living being from birth. The owner of this Skill is treated as if his STR is always Rank-Up.

B: As his body was created, it was made perfect. Berserker cannot be affected by decay of any kind and will always be in top-condition unless his wounds are not healed.

_Noble Phantasm-_

_Curse of the Sun Named Moon: "The Blood of Life and Death":_A+: Berserker can heal from any wound no matter how serious it is, although he will feel pain while being healed. Berserker must be sane in order to heal.

Bringer of Ruin: "He Who Is Called Death": A+: When attacked, Berserker activate the Mad Enhancement. Berserker cannot heal in this state, and can only be called off if his Master orders him to do so.

**…Anyway, please check out the Fate:Zero Sense TV Tropes page and add on whatever tropes you can spot in either this of Fate:Zero Sense. Also, check out my challenges on my profile. I added a bunch of Fate related crossover challenges that you people might find interest. I would also like to thank Sir Godot for betaing this chap. This chap wouldn't have been as good without him. And review! Reviews help out my muse, so the more reviews I get the more powerful 'Update Motivator Kit' becomes, forcing me to write for your amusement. So get off your ass and review!**

**…Please? **


	8. After Shit Goes Down Part 2

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Illysasviel allowed Berserker to set her down on the ground as they reached the entrance of Einzbern Manor before straightening her coat. It had been a long day for her, but in the end she had gained valuable information about her own Servant's abilities and those of the other Servants. Berserker had some sort of healing factor that he could use after she called him out of the Mad Enhancement, at least she thought it was that. Even a Servant under the Class Skill would have at least grunted or shouted in pain, but Berserker had not even so much as ground his teeth when he had been injured left and right by the Servants. Hell, he had even tried to get back up despite losing most of his spine to Rider's Noble Phantasm! The only time that he had shouted in pain had been when he had been _healing_, making the whole scene slightly disturbing to her. _"But it could be useful if Berserker can still fight after being healed…"_ Illyasviel thought to herself with a frown. _"I can probably use it to my advantage when Berserker fights Rider…"_

Yes, Rider was the most serious threat out of all the Servants. Even though the Servant tried to hide it, she could literally _feel_ the Mana flow off of him like ocean waves (something she had to thank her grandfather and the numerous experiments done to her body for). To the common Magus, Rider was just an ordinary Servant who happened to ride on a small Mecha (how the Hell was that even possible?). But to her and perhaps that strange Servant Avenger (even stranger, since the Avenger class had not existed since the Third Holy Grail War when her family had tried to bend the rules a bit) they could tell the Servant's true power.

Assassin was a loudmouthed fool that Berserker could eliminate just as easily as Lancer the moment he opened his mouth. Archer, despite not doing much during the fight, was still holding whatever Noble Phantasms he had a secret so he would have to be eliminated after Berserker took care of Rider. Both Caster and Avengers were wild cards, but from what she had seen their abilities relied heavily on a style of projection magic, but Caster's granted her a variety of skills and abilities while Avenger's were simply copied swords. Finally, there was her Onii-chan's Servant Saber, who despite being King Arthur appeared to be the weakest of the bunch.

Illyasviel felt her eyes narrow as she remembered the boy Kiritsugu had abandoned her for. He had seemed shocked by her calling him 'Onii-chan'. What, had Kiritsugu not even _mentioned_ her to him? Had she been that unimportant to her father that she was not even worth mentioning? Oh, just for that her Onii-chan was going to die _slowly_ rather than the quick and mostly painless death she had originally planned. _"Yes, Rider can wait. Saber and Onii-chan will be the first to go. Maybe I'll kill the Matou and Edelfelt heir right in front of him while doing it. Berserker's strong enough to defeat BOTH those worthless Servants in a heartbeat…"_

"Master…" Berserker began, making Illyasviel glance at him to see him with a curious expression on his face. "Why did you pull me back?"

"Do not get the wrong idea Berserker. I did not know whether or not you could continue fighting after being healed. Add to the fact that Rider was prepared to drill another hole in you should you have so much as moved…" Illyasviel began before huffing and opening the front door.

"I see…" Berserker muttered while looking down. "I can fight after healing, you should not worry about me."

"I-I'm not worried about you!" Illyasviel denied as they went up the stairs, crossing her arms as she huffed in anger. "I-It was a tactical retreat! You should have told me about this before we left!"

"I didn't think it would have mattered to you." Berserker replied as they walked down the hallways towards Illyasviel's room. "You were pretty adamant about getting to the temple quickly."

"Gah!" Illyasviel raged as she flung her door open and stomped towards her bed. "You better make a breakfast for me tomorrow that will make up for this Berserker!" She then flopped onto her bed and just laid there for a minute while Berserker began to turn around to leave her alone. "Berserker…" As soon as she said that, Berserker stopped moving. "…why did you kill Luna?"

"…" Berserker said nothing, and although Illyasviel could not see them his eyes widened in shock. _"Has she gone through a dream sequence already?"_ Berserker thought to himself before saying, "I was ordered to do so from the one I followed. And because of that…" Berserker then turned his head towards Illyasviel, and she saw that his eyes hardened before saying coldly, "…The Ruin began, and the world died." Without saying another word, Berserker left the room, leaving a shocked Illyasviel behind.

_"His world… died?"_

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Church):_**

Archer stood next to the bell on top of the church, overlooking Fuyuki City as he waited for Rin to finish her business with the church overseer. After the fight with the other Servants and their retreat, Rin had immediately made a beeline towards the church. She had seemed to be upset, claiming that it was because of the fact that there were now eight Servants as opposed to seven, but even Archer could tell that she was really upset over the fact that Sakura, apparently her sister despite the difference in hair and eye color, was truly a Master in the war.

_"If only she weren't so stubborn to admit to it…" _Archer thought to himself with a sigh as he looked at the moon shining brightly over the city. He had to admit that this war was shaping up to be a strange one, filled with Servants that were each more powerful than the next. Plus the appearance of the eighth Servant truly changed things. _"Could this be what that Luvia girl meant by the Grail being corrupted?"_ Archer was no fool, he could tell that the girl was being serious about what she said. However, the life he had lived had taught him fairly _harshly_ not to take anything for face value. Someone might either be trying to manipulate the girl or she was actually right about the Grail. So until he could confirm what Luvia had said was true, he was sticking to Rin. _"Just wish she would at least consider the possibility…"_

"Damn…" Archer sighed as he tapped his foot in annoyance. "Wish she would hurry up in there, or that I had some milk. Then this wouldn't be so _booring_!"

Let's just say that Archer wasn't the only one annoyed.

"Get out here already you otaku priest!" Rin yelled as she stomped past the pews towards the back door, which led to Kirei's living quarters. She had only arrived a few minutes ago, intent on _demanding_ the priest to explain to her why there were eight Servants instead of just seven. The door to the church was unlocked, so she just invited herself in. It wasn't like Kirei really cared who visited him. The only ones who came here were her, the church goers on Sunday, that strange Wade person she had only seen a few times who kept calling her a Tsundere (she still did not feel sorry for kicking him in the nuts for that comment), and that freaky Bea Arthur Club that always visited on Saturdays. But she had been calling out to the man for _five minutes_, and he still wouldn't answer her! _"It's not like he actually goes to sleep at night!" _Rin thought as she opened the back door and marched to the living room area before flinging the door open. "Finally! No-GAH!" Rin cried as she covered her eyes and turned away. "J-just what do you think you're watching!?"

"Porn of course. I have a life you know." Kirei answered with a shrug as he paused the video before turning off the TV. "And stop acting so repressed. After all, you willingly got into a three-way in the visual novel and in a partial one in the anime."

"…What?" Rin growled out, while Kirei looked at her strangely.

"Huh?" Kirei asked back, but this time with a hint of mocking.

"Don't 'huh? me Kirei! What was that you just said?" Rin demanded, only to receive the same damn expression on Kirei's face. "Gah! Forget it! Just tell me why the Hell there is an eighth Servant?"

"Oh, you mean Avenger?" Kirei asked while pulling out a card which pictured a chained up, restrained, and slightly bleeding man with spiked chains all around him. "I _was_ going to tell you, but I had more important things to do."

"More important than telling the Masters about an eighth Servant?" Rin asked dangerously, to which Kirei nodded. "Oh yes, I was busy counting how many times Kenny died in all the seasons of South Park." Kirei told Rin with a shrug of his shoulders. "It was a mind-draining task beyond comprehension."

"Tch!" Rin clicked her tongue in annoyance before stomping away from the priest. "I swear to God himself Kirei, if you weren't the Church overseer…"

"You'd what? Fling jewelry at me? Good luck with that, I'm the one who trained you off-screen during the time skip." Kirei retorted, and before Rin could ask him what he meant by that he slammed the door in her face, being sure to duck as a _Gandr _crashed through the door and passed above his head, followed by a scream of rage. "My God, I love how TIM lets me troll without revealing that I'm obviously evil."

"Well, that's an Omniscient Morality License for you." Wade joked out as he appeared next to Kirei. "We're clean until we make our move."

"True, but I wish that TIM would hurry up and get to that point. But then again, the other Servants need to show their stuff…" Kirei said with a sigh as he sat on the couch with Wade next to him. "Now, where were we?"

"Alright, boobies!" Wade cheered as Kirei turned back on the TV.

"Damn that man!" Rin grumbled out as she walked out of the church doors with Archer jumping down from the roof and walking up beside her. "How my father even _considered_ taking him as a student I will never know!"

"Not that much of a fan of him, are you?" Archer asked playfully, only to raise his hands in mock surrender with the glare Rin gave him. "Well, you get anything from him?"

"Just that this eighth Servant is supposed to be called Avenger." Rin muttered while looking down on the ground. "This is bad. With the presence of Avenger, Berserker's own power, and El-Melloi the Second being here…"

"El-Melloi the Second? Was he the Master of Rider?" Archer asked, receiving a nod in response.

"Yes. Like Kirei, he's a veteran of the Fourth Holy Grail War. He was also the Master of Rider then as well, and from what I heard the Rider of the last war was extremely powerful." Rin muttered as she continued to walk. "Considering the fact that he was riding the same… _thing_… as the last Rider did, it should be safe to say that this Rider's legend is intertwined with the last one."

"Hm, guess that means that he is the biggest threat next to Berserker then." Archer mused while placing his hand under his chin. "But at least the princess is out of the game. So now we have to worry about the remaining six."

"Guess you're right…" Rin muttered while looking down. At least with Lancer's death, Luvia was practically out of the game. However, if she were to still try and get involved, Rin would be forced to put her down for good. It was still a wonder why Luvia hadn't gone under the church's protection at this point… "Still, we'll worry more about this tomorrow."

Suddenly, Archer's stomach growled and the Servant looked at Rin with a pitiful expression on his face. "Can we get something to eat first?"

Rin simply face palmed herself and groaned in annoyance. At this rate and Archer's usual consumption of food, her funds would be depleted by the end of the week.

**_Elsewhere (Emiya Residence):_**

"Well… that was something…" Shirou muttered as he, Saber, Luvia, Sakura, Assassin, and his Noble Phantasm in human form, which called herself 'Tsubaki', stood outside the front door of Shirou's home. They had just gotten back from Ryuudoji temple only a minute ago, and there had been mostly silence between all of them (_not_ counting Assassin's boasts that he could have totally taken Berserker). Also, Lancer had not appeared since the… _wardrobe incident_ after her revival, making Shirou wonder where she had gone off too.

"_Something_ does not even cover it Shirou." Luvia said with a sigh as she rubbed her tired eyes. "Our identities are exposed to all the Masters now. But at least we were also able to discover theirs. Still, I cannot _believe_ that Lord El-Melloi the Second is a Master again…"

"What's so important about this Lord El-whatever guy?" Assassin asked curiously with a raised eyebrow, while Sakura fidgeted a bit.

"N-Nii-san told me… when he was researching about the Holy Grail War I mean…. That Waver Velvet was the Master of Rider in the previous war. He now has the title of Lord El-Melloi the Second after giving back the Archibald's crest." Sakura answered, to which Saber nodded.

"Indeed. I may have not faced the last Rider in battle during the previous war, but I could tell that he was powerful." Saber then frowned before looking down. "And if this Rider is just like the last one…"

"That guy didn't seem to be the type to sneak attack us." Shirou spoke, giving his own analysis. "But Avenger and his Master…."

"We should speak to Kuzuki-sensei tomorrow, and tell him about the Grail." Sakura spoke up, making everyone look towards her. "M-maybe we can make an alliance with him…"

"Worth a shot." Shirou agreed with a shrug while Luvia nodded.

"I just wished that he would have let me help him with his arm…" Tsubaki spoke up, while Assassin just closed his eyes.

"Don't beat yourself over it Tsubaki. He just wanted to look bigger to a big guy like me." Assassin then grinned before shouting, "And if he doesn't agree, I will beat Caster and show just how big of a star I am!"

At this, everyone let out a mental groan of annoyance.

"Well, I guess we should be getting to sleep. We need to be at school tomorrow." Sakura reminded everyone before smiling at Shirou. "I-I'll see you tomorrow morning Sempai."

Luvia's eyes went wide at this before she pointed at Shirou and stuttered out, "S-Shirou, what does she mean by that?"

"Huh? Sakura always helps me make breakfast in the morning." Shirou stated as if it was the simplest fact in the world with a completely confused tone. Luvia's jaw slightly dropped at this. When she had discovered that Matou had been at Shirou's home during the battle with Assassin, she hadn't given it that much thought. She had just thought that Sakura had gone to investigate the disturbance like her. But for Luvia to discover that Sakura had been making these meals without her knowledge for Shirou for quite some time now (she always left early in the morning to beat Tohsaka to school, so she was never at Shirou's house in the morning)…

Matou had a _huge_ advantage over her! This could not go on!

"I-I'll see you in the morning as well Shirou!" Luvia declared, making everyone look at her.

"But don't you want to keep your perfect attendance Luvia?" Shirou asked, making Luvia blush.

"T-that's not important! I-It would be wise for us to remain together just in case Tohsaka wishes to attack us!" Luvia declared before turning around and almost _sprinting _to her mansion. "G-Good night!"

"Night!" Shirou cried out while waving at her. Sakura then smiled at him before turning around and leaving as well with Assassin throwing his hands behind his head and walking with her while Tsubaki gave Shirou a polite smile and bowed before following both Assassin and Sakura. With that, he turned to Saber before saying, "Come on, let's get some sleep."

"I saw the chaos from here Shirou."

Shirou quickly turned around to see Maiya looking down on him with almost unreadable eyes. "Were you successful in eliminating the Servant at Ryuudoji Temple?"

Shirou shook his head before saying, "No, all the Masters arrived with their Servants at the temple before we retreated when Berserker came. He's powerful and…" Shirou looked down before saying, "I-I think his Master knows me, but I've never seen her in my life."

"…" At this, Maiya's eyes narrowed before she asked, "Did this girl have red eyes and silver hair?"

"Yes!" Shirou shouted while nodding. "She was also short, and I think she was about eight or nine. And called me 'Onii-chan' for some reason."

Maiya then looked at Saber before asking, "Did she look like the Madam?"

Saber narrowed her eyes before they widened in shock, saying, "Y-yes. But it can't be her. She looks like she hadn't aged a day!"

"Who is she?" Shirou asked, only for Maiya to sigh and look at him.

"Come inside, and close the door behind you." Maiya spoke, motioning for Shirou and Saber to follow her. After they were all inside and the door closed, Maiya took a deep breath before saying, "That girl you saw, Berserker's Master, is Illyasviel von Einzbern. She is Kiritsugu's biological daughter and your step-sister."

"W-what?" Shirou whispered out with wide eyes. "I-I have a sister? Why would he hide this from me? Why would Kiritsugu keep it secret? Why does she want to kill me?"

"I was curious as to why Kiritsugu's daughter was not here with you." Saber said coldly while looking at Maiya. "Did that man have any reason to leave her with that family?"

"He left multiple times trying to rescue his daughter." Maiya explained while looking at Shirou and Saber. "However, the Einzberns would not allow him to return after Kiritsugu destroyed the grail. They amounted that act as betrayal, and their bounded fields were too powerful for him to break. It would not be out of the question that they brainwashed his daughter into hating Kiritsugu, and to an extent you Shirou."

"B-but… Shirou whispered, only for Saber to place her hand on his shoulder.

"Shirou, Illyasviel made herself an enemy. There is nothing you can do for her." Saber told him, making Shirou look down.

"…It's getting late Shirou. Go to sleep." Maiya informed Shirou before turning around and heading for her room.

Shirou looked at Saber before muttering, "I'm alright…" With that, Shirou began walking towards his own room. But in his mind he was anything _but _alright. He now knew he had a sister. An older sister that Kiritsugu had kept secret from him. An older sister who hated him for something that had been out of Kiritsugu's control. As he got into his bed with Saber in tow, he remembered Kiritsugu's words to him on that festival night.

_"You know Shirou-kun, being a hero in real life is much more different than how they show it in the comic books." Kiritsugu informed him, making Maiya stop eating and look at him with worried eyes. Shirou looked at him with a confused expression on his face as Kiritsugu continued. "Saving someone means that you have to choose not to save someone else."_

Now Shirou knew the meaning of his words, for Kiritsugu had sacrificed saving his own daughter to save him.

**_Elsewhere (Bazette's Apartment):_**

_"FUCK!" _Avenger mentally raged while clenching his fists as Bazette slept in her room, barely holding back the urge to punch through the wall and completely wreck the entire apartment. _"Simon the FUCKING Digger is the Rider of this war? How the HELL can this happen? And not only him, but Casshern as well? What kind of Grail War is this!?"_

Avenger had every right to be upset. His opponents were practically unbeatable foes. Berserker's own healing ability was almost unbeatable, making Berserker practically invincible. Even more so than Hercules (who Illyasviel was SUPPOSED to get!) and Rider practically had an Anti-UNIVERSE Noble Phantasm in his arsenal. Not only that, but he had to face Caster, Archer, Assassin, and Lancer. He knew for a fact that Lancer was not dead. All the versions of her had clones, so it would not be out of the question that she could be 'revived'.

_"No, calm down…"_ Avenger thought to himself while taking a deep breath. _"Rider's Master does not have the Prana to come even close to summoning Rider's ultimate Noble Phantasm. And if I take out Illyasviel, Berserker will just disappear. Or I can make Saber take him out with Excalibur. He can't heal if nothing's there."_

Avenger was just glad that the Throne of Heroes supplied its occupants with entertainment during their stay. He himself had watched several anime to pass the time while waiting for his next mission. But to think that the heroes of some of those anime would actually be participating in a Holy Grail War was mind-boggling.

_"Caster, Rider, and Berserker are the biggest threats."_ Avenger thought to himself as he calmed himself down. _"I'll deal with the idiot after they are eliminated. Unless Bazette decides to go after Saber first. Then I'll just have to convince her otherwise."_

And with that, Avenger continued to brood over his next move.

**_Elsewhere (Mitsuduri Residence):_**

"Ah man, I'm tired…" Rider declared with a yawn as they entered the darkened house at night. "But I guess staying up this late was worth it in the end, huh?"

"Be quiet! I don't want to wake up Ayako's family and explain to them why we were out so late!" Waver hissed out as he tip-toed past the kitchen and began moving up the stairs. They had 'parked' Lagann a block away from the street in order to avoid suspicion from the Mitsuduri's, in case any of them were still awake. (Waver had been a teenager once, so he knew that Ayako would stay up late to watch TV or something, which had worked to his advantage as he and Rider had left.)

"Sorry, sorry…" Rider muttered, although a slight grin formed on his face as they snuck into Waver and Cristina's room. "So, what did you think about the fight before?"

Waver frowned as he put his hand on the doorknob before saying, "Berserker should be our main priority in this war."

"Couldn't agree with you more. That bastard just wouldn't go down. He was like the _last _Berserker, and I remember how much of a pain it was to beat him." Rider grumbled as he and Waver entered the room. "Still, we shouldn't discount Caster, Saber, and that Avenger guy."

"The eighth Servant would be a problem, but Caster we can save for later. Her Master didn't look like a magus, so she should be in hiding trying to replenish lost Prana now." Waver replied before sighing. "Anyway, we shouldn't even be talking about this here, what if Ayako or her parents are listening?"

"Alright, alright…" Rider replied before plopping onto his futon while Waver quietly slipped into his western-style bed with a sleeping Cristina. "Night man…"

"Nigh-" Waver began, before his wife's arms wrapped around his body, and her body rolled onto his.

"Oh husband, yes…" Cristina muttered with her eyes closed while her pelvis began grinding on his still clothed one. "Tighten those ropes…"

"I'll… just be going now…" Rider declared before his dissipated from view.

"No, Rider! Don't leave me like this!" Waver shouted as he tried to pry himself from his wife's grasp. _"Kamachi is going to kill me tomorrow…"_

Again, if Waver had been his old self he would have just began crying by now.

**_Elsewhere (Ryuudoji Temple):_**

_"Damn…"_ Caster thought to herself as she sat herself down on a chair, slightly sweating and gasping for air. _"I should have been wiser with my Prana usage…"_

It was true, she had been careless and wasteful of her own Prana during her fight. She should have used her most powerful armor while she had an advantage over Avenger and been done with it. Instead, she had dragged out the fight, and she had barely been at full strength Prana-wise to begin with. Her Master had no Magic Circuits to begin with, and thus could not supply her with any Prana. She would fade out of existence if this continued any longer. It would take days to sparingly take out Prana from the leyline under the temple to reach full strength without killing any of the town's inhabitants. Which left her with three options.

One: Kill a couple of humans and devour their soul, instantly refilling her Prana with Od in a matter of minutes if not seconds.

_"No, I would never do that. It is not the way of a member of Fairy Tail."_ Caster thought to herself while shaking her head.

Two: Take all the Prana she needs from the leyline at once, saving her time but in exchange killing several citizens at once.

_"I cannot do that either." _Caster thought to herself with narrowed eyes. Which left her only one option, and that made her entire skin flush red. As the Servant Caster, the Grail gave her the necessary information to perform the ritual, but it was still… _that_. _"But if it helps me battle the other Servants, serve Master better, and gives me the power necessary to get my wish… then I'll do it."_ With that, Caster let out a long-held breath before getting out of her chair and heading to her Master's room. She opened the door quietly and saw Souichirou sleeping, his damaged arm in a cast. She wished she knew some minor healing spells, but unfortunately she did not, and her Master was forced to wear the cast. Clenching her fists, she slowly got onto Souichirou's bed and kneeled in front of him, making his eyes snap open and look at her.

"Caster?" Souichirou asked curiously while Caster looked down on him.

"Master, please understand. This is for me to better protect you." With than, Caster leaned down her head and placed a gentle kiss on Souichirou's lips as her armor disappeared from her form.

No further words needed to be spoken between the two.

**_The Next Morning (Hamurahara Gakuren):_**

Shirou looked at the clock anxiously as the history teacher kept droning on and on about the Edo period of Japan. He had hardly made it to school at all, for he had woken up late. Staying up practically all night thinking about how your step-sister wanted to kill you and how your adoptive father and mother-figure had lied to you practically your entire life would do that to a guy. _"Still, I guess I can kind of understand…"_ Shirou thought with a sigh while drumming his fingers on the desk. _"Kiritsugu would not have wanted to talk about something like that, and he probably told Maiya not to tell me either."_

Needless to say, breakfast had been a bit of a somber affair. He had hardly spoken while eating his breakfast, despite Luvia and Lancer being there as well. Fuji-nee had tried to cheer him up with her usual attitude, but it hadn't really worked. He might just have to apologize to them later on…

With the ring of the end bell, Shirou got out from his seat and bolted to the door. Outside, much to his surprise, was Luvia waiting for him with her arms crossed. "So Shirou…" Luvia began while gazing at him. Have you talked with Kuzuki yet?"

"I was just about to Luvia. Don't worry." Shirou replied before saying, "Look Luvia, sorry I didn't talk that much this morning. I had a lot of things on my mind."

"Think nothing of it Shirou. If you don't wish to talk about it then you don't have to." Luvia said with a dismissing wave of her hand. "However, we do need to talk to Kuzuki about the war."

_"Speaking of which…"_ Shirou thought as he spotted Souichirou walking down the hallway, his right arm in a cast. "Hey, Kuzuki-sensei!"

"Emiya, Edelfelt." Souichirou spoke with a curt nod to each.

"We need to talk to you about something. In _private_." Luvia added while looking around the room, to which Souichirou nodded and motioned them to follow him, which they did. They reached Souichirou's still empty classroom before the man locked the door and gazed upon them without saying a word. Shirou and Luvia gulped a bit at this. Before they had thought Kuzuki was just a serious teacher. Now his stoic-ness was a bit creepy. "W-well, we wished to discuss to you about the Grail. It is corrupted."

Souichirou raised an eyebrow at this before saying, "Define corrupted Edelfelt."

"It was corrupted by a Servant from the Third Holy Grail War, Angra Mainyu." Shirou explained while scratching the back of his head. "He corrupted the Grail after dying, and any wish made on it will just bring suffering."

"In short, we wish for you to join our alliance." Luvia continued while Souichirou kept looking at them. "If we do not fight, then the Grail cannot come into being. And Angra Mainyu will not be able to return to this world."

"…" Souichirou said nothing for a minute before saying, "I will discuss this with Caster after school. It is her decision whether I accept or not."

"How can you say that?" Luvia asked with her brows furrowed. "You're her Master aren't you?"

"I had no desire for the Grail to begin with Edelfelt." Souichirou informed them before going to his desk, taking out two pieces of paper, and began to scribble on them. "Only Caster does, and thus her decision as to what we should do will be mine as well."

"Y-you…!" Luvia stuttered before Souichirou walked over and handed them the two slips of paper.

"These will be your late passes for your next class. Go." Souichirou stated, his tone indicating that he would not take the conversation further.

Shirou sighed before placing his hand on Luvia's shoulder. "Come on Luvia, let's go." Luvia let out a huff before following Shirou out of the room, leaving Souichirou alone.

**_Elsewhere (Ahnenerbe Café):_**

Shinji sighed as he wiped a glass cup behind the bar for what seemed like the twentieth time. Today apparently was a slow day, for he had only had ten customers so far and the bar was now completely empty. While he liked the job and the quietness it brought, days like these made him anxious.

_"Especially with the war going on."_ Shinji thought to himself while a small frown formed on his face. He was still mostly on the fence whether or not to get involved, for if he did get involved it might bring the Association down on him and Sola-Ui, completely shattering the life they had built up. On the other hand his involvement could stop things from getting out of hand. And from what he could sense from last night and the way Shirou had acted this morning, they were getting there. _"Only if things truly get crazy."_ Shinji decided while setting the glass down. _"Then I'll…"_ Suddenly, the familiar chime of bells echoed through the café, informing Shinji that a customer was in. He turned towards the door and began to say with a smile, "Hi, welcome to Ahnener…" However, his voice got caught in his throat as he observed the newcomer. It was Lancer… no… _Rei_ dressed in her old school uniform.

"Rei…?" Shinji whispered out while Lancer looked at him directly in the eyes.

"I inquired Emiya to tell me where you worked, and he informed me you were here." Lancer informed Shinji while walking towards the bar. "We have much to discuss about, Pilot Ikari."

Well, at least he could now cross something out of his 'to do' list…

**To Be Continued… **

**Omake- ****It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview! **

"Ah! It's good to be back!" Taiga yelled out while dressed in a two-piece tiger-striped swimsuit while Illyasviel was dressed in a white one-piece with an embarrassed expression on her face. "The Taiga Dojo starts now my loyal fans!"

"S-Sensei! Why are we dressed like this?" Illyasviel yelled out in embarrassment while Taiga just smirked.

"Fan-service of course! " Taiga yelled while pointing at the screen. "Fan-service brings us more fans, and more fans make TIM happy!"

"B-but this is too tight!" Illyasviel whined before covering herself.

"Good! It will attract fans with loli fetishes!" Taiga declared, making Illyasviel sigh.

"Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'Citizen Ikari'!" Illyasviel declared before Taiga pumped her fist into the air.

"Check it out!"

**Omake:**** Different Servants: Lancer**

Luvia blinked as she looked at the Servant standing on the summoning array. It was a man with small red markings at the corner of his eyes that wore a black robe and samurai-like sandals but with no tabi socks. He carried with him a katana with a purple sheath, however the most distinctive trait of him was the fact that he was…

"Bald!" Luvia blurted out, making the Servant's eye twitch.

"Who the Hell are you calling bald!?" The Servant yelled out with an utterly furious expression on his face. "It's _shaven_ damn it!"

"That's not shaven! It's straight-up _bald_!" Luvia declared while pointing to the Servant's head, which seemed to shine in response.

"Why you…" The Servant growled out before the argument began anew.

And thus began the partnership between Lancer, once known through life as the third-seat of the eleventh's division of Soul Society Madarame Ikkaku, and Luvia.

They did not end their argument whether he was bald or not until sunrise.

**Note-**** Yo! It's TIM here with the new chap of Fate:Stay Away! Sorry for the delay but my life has been pretty hectic. Plus, I've gotten into the Anime Hellsing and Cowboy Bebop, which ate up my remaining free time. Anyway, I know you guys are curious as to what Lancer's stats are, so here they are… **

Class: Lancer

Master: Luviagelita Edelfelt

True Name: Rei Ayanami

Sex: Female

Height/Weight: 145cm/42kg

Theme Song: A Cruel Angle's Thesis by Yoko Takahash

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Strength: C+

Endurance: B-

Agility: A

Mana: B+

Luck: E-

Noble Phantasm: A

_Class Skills-_

Magic Resistance- Grants protection against magical effects. Differently from the Resistance effect that merely rejects prana, this ability cancels the spells altogether. Important to note that the term "verse" seen below refers to a set of three lines. Thus, a chant of two verses is equivalent to a Six-Line incantation.

D: Cancel Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy.

_Personal Skills-_

Battle Continuation- The strength of vitality for predicaments. Also, the ability to withdraw from combat and reach allied territory alive after being defeated.

C: As Lancer possesses a rather frail body, despite her ancestry, she cannot continue fighting with injuries as other Heroic Spirits.

Disengage- The ability to break away from combat.

C: Bonus effect of returning battle conditions to what they were at the beginning of the match.

Divinity- The measure of whether one has Divine Spirit aptitude or not. At high levels one is treated as a mixed race of a materialized Divine Spirit, and the level declines when the Heroic Spirit's own rank as a Monster, Demonic Beast raises. It can also decrease due one's dislike for the gods. It also has an effect which reduces special defensive values called "purge defense" in proportion to the Divinity's Rank. It can break through Skills such as Protection of the Faith.

D: As a being born from mixing human DNA with that of Angels, who were known as the Bringers of Life, some measure of Divinity was gained by Lancer along with an appearance and powers that differ from normal humans.

Presence Detection- The ability to detect other Servants and local mana sources.

A: Due to her knowledge of A.T.-Fields, Lancer can detect any living being in a certain area. This effect is strengthened by knowing the presence of an individual.

_Noble Phantasm:_

Lance of Longinus "The Spear of Origin": A+: A relic from before the birth of man. Can pierce any substance, even if it is magically enhanced. Cannot be used at same time as A.T Field. Is necessary to summon _Zeruel_.

A.T. Field "The Light of the Soul": B+: The physical representation of Lancer's 'soul'. Can be used to attack or block any attack for a limited amount of time. However, enough force can break it. Cannot be used at same time as Lance of Longinus.

Zeruel "The Angel of Might": A+: (Anti-Fortress) By calling upon the Angel essence that was fused with her during a battle, Lancer can summon the shape of the Angel that once devoured her around herself, effectively becoming the Angel Zeruel. The A.T. Field can be used during this transformation to an even greater degree.

Madness of Man "The Three Lives": B+: Through human research that broke into the domain of God, man has managed to cheat death. By uploading digitalized memories into a cloned body it is possible to achieve some measure of immortality. As Lancer's body was only one of many, she can call upon all the bodies she has used in the battles that made her a Heroic Spirit.

**…So anyway, a lot has happened over the past few weeks while I was away. CleverPervertedPriest was inspired by Fate:Zero Sense and decided to make his own version called _Fate Level Zero_, which has all characters but Saber replaced by someone in video games. And finally Farmer Kyle picked up my Bleach/Fate Stay Night crossover. It's titled _Stitches_, so go check that out along with _The Artist and The Faker_ by Agitated Animator. **

**Anyway, remember. Check out my challenges on my profile and take any if you are interested. And add to the TV Tropes Page of Fate:Zero Sense if you want to. **

**Also this chap was betad once again by Sir Godot. Thanks man for making sure my semi-okay grammar is acceptable for my readers. You're a huge help.**

**And review! Reviews help with my muse, so the more reviews the better. Get your fingers working and review! **

**…Please? **


	9. Citizen Ikari

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here. **

Shinji could not help but shift nervously in his seat as Lancer quietly sipped her tea across the small table in the corner of the café. After she had asked if they could talk, Shinji had immediately flipped the 'open' sign to its closed side and brought them to a spot in the café where they could not be seen from the windows. He had even brewed them a pot of tea, which they could both drink, since Shinji could already tell their talk would be a fairly long one.

_"Rei…"_ Shinji thought sadly as he looked at his kind of, sort of, _maybe_ half-sister and one-time crush. The years in Fuyuki City, in a world where Second Impact never happened for some reason or another, had given him time to think about his life. He had thought long and hard about his feelings towards Rei for nights on end. How he shunned her third clone, who was _still_ Rei in a sense, out of a fit of disgust and depression. To be fair, he wasn't really in the right state of mind during that time. But it was no excuse towards how he treated her afterwards. He could have rebuilt a bond with the third Rei like he did with the second one. He could have made he relearn the human emotions and feelings that made Rei who she used to be. Instead he had been disgusted with both himself for having a crush on a girl who had a _small_ percentage of his mother's DNA, his father for defiling his mother after death, and unintentionally Rei for making him think she had died, only to be revived into a Rei who forgot all of their time together and the bond they had formed.

And what he did to her on _that day…_

"It is delicious."

"Huh?" Shinji asked, blinking as Lancer had her hands folded in front of her with the teacup to her right side, completely empty. Her lips didn't even hold a droplet of the drink as she looked at him a bit blankly.

"The tea you provided, it was delicious." Lancer explained as she looked at Shinji with her ruby red eyes.

"Oh…" Shinji let out a long held breath before saying, "Rei, how are you…"

"Master summoned me, and I was the most compatible Heroic Spirit available for her." Lancer immediately told him in her usual monotone voice, however her eyes half-closed as she looked down on the table. "I apologize for not seeing you sooner Pilot Ikari, but I have been helping Master in The Holy Grail War in order to prevent the culmination of the Grail."

"It should be me apologizing Rei. I'm the one who didn't try to find you after the fight with Assassin." Shinji said, reassuring Lancer with an apologetic expression on his face. In a sense, he _had_ been trying to avoid this conversation by not actively seeking her out. Was it because he didn't want to be reminded about _that_ day? Shinji was still unsure.

"…Very well Pilot Ikari." Lancer whispered before looking back into his eyes. "Tell me…"

"Do you… _remember_ that day?" Shinji blurted out, making Lancer's eyes widen. "W-when…" Shinji gulped a bit before whispering out, "…Third Impact happened?"

"…Third Impact never occurred Pilot Ikari." Lancer informed him, her face still impassive but her eyes now filled with confusion. "When you absorbed the tenth Angel's core into Unit-01, bringing me into your embrace, the one like me destroyed Unit-01's core with the Lance of Longinus. We both died on that day Pilot Ikari."

"W-what?" Shinji stuttered out, his eyes widening in shock. That wasn't right! The sixteenth Angle _bonded_ Rei before she self-destructed her Evangelion! He hadn't done _shit_ to destroy the thing! And… "How can you say Third Impact didn't happen Rei!?" Shinji shouted as he rose from his seat, his hands clenched into fists while Lancer's eyes widened. "I was there! I fucking _asked_ you to do it! I saw it happen! I _watched_ everyone on earth turn into LCL! DON'T TELL ME IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!"

The sound of the teacup breaking on the floor snapped Shinji out of whatever trance he was in. He blinked as he saw that he was now in front of Lancer's seat, gripping her shoulders with both of his hands.

He didn't even remember leaving from his side of the table.

"Rei… I-I…" Shinji slowly let go of Lancer's shoulder before putting them in front of his face, a small tear falling from his right eye. "I-I didn't m-mean to do that Rei. I'm sorry…"

Lancer stared at him for a moment, wincing slightly as she rolled her shoulders. Apparently, he had gripped her _hard_. "You do not need to apologize Pilot Ikari." She stared at him for a bit longer before looking down and stating with a semi-_sad_ tone, "We are not from the same legend."

"…What?" Shinji asked quietly, only for Rei to seem to lower her head even more so that he could not see her eyes.

"We are obviously from two different legends, ones that are similar in some aspects but different from others. Third Impact had almost occurred after you, _my_ version of you, destroyed and absorbed the tenth angel, but was prevented. You on the other hand saw Third Impact and how everyone became one. You fought against the fourteenth angel, when I ascended to the Throne of Heroes after the tenth." Rei explained before looking at Shinji in the eyes. "I am not the Rei Ayanami from your legend, nor are you the Shinji Ikari from mine."

"T-this…" Shinji whispered before walking to his chair and sitting down while his right hand ran through his hair. This was a lot to take in. So this wasn't the Rei he had known. This was a Rei from a different legend, a different _universe_ entirely that had ascended into the Throne of Heroes after her death. This was not the Rei he had truly known, nor was it the one who offered him the choice of Instrumentality on the day of Third Impact.

This wasn't _Rei_.

_"No, it is Rei!"_ His mind protested, making Shinji's eyes widen. _"It may not be the Rei we knew, but it is still her! Do you WANT to repeat the same damn mistake?" _"No…" Shinji whispered to himself before calming himself. He wasn't going to treat Lancer like he treated the third Rei.

He wouldn't repeat the sins he had committed once again, like he had learned _nothing _from his experiences_._

"That may be…" Shinji began, before looking at Rei and smiling. "But that doesn't mean we can't become friends all over again."

Lancer's eyes widen at this, with her lips slightly parted to show her surprise. Slowly, her face shifted one to a small smile, like the one Shinji saw when he rescued her from her plug.

He had almost forgotten how _beautiful_ it was.

Afterwards, only one thought went through his mind as he felt a blush rise to his face.

_"Taiga-chan will kill me if she ever found out about this…"_

**_Elsewhere (Hamurahara Gakuren):_**

Matou Shinji had been called many things in his life.

Asshole, bastard, Sempai, Shinji-kun, Nii-san, and even friend by Emiya Shirou years ago.

None would consider him a monster inside.

Sure, his arrogant attitude got on people's nerves sometimes, but they never suspect that he had a deep darkness inside of him.

It all started when Sakura first entered the Matou family all those years ago. First he had been happy about getting a sister. He was glad that he wouldn't be so lonely anymore in the cold, damp, and creepy residence. But that changed when his grandfather, Matou Zouken, started to spend time with her. Usually, he spent time with no one. In fact, the times he did decide to talk he only belittled Shinji's father, and sometimes even Shinji himself. He had once tried to confront Sakura as to what she was doing with his grandfather at nights, and sometimes for hours in the morning. But she didn't answer with any emotion in her tone. Just saying that she was _training_, like somehow she was better than him! It hurt even more when his Uncle Kariya returned, but only to see Sakura. Kariya then disappeared, and Shinji never saw him again. Apparently, he had gone and gotten himself killed trying to _save_ Sakura. Not even caring about him, his own _nephew_!

Then Shinji's grandfather died, and his father became an embittered _drunk._ During one of his little drunken rants, he had revealed everything to Shinji.

That he was part of a Magus family, but had no true Magic Circuits.

That Sakura had only been adopted into the family for holding numerous Magic Circuits.

That Sakura had been violated repeatedly by Zouken's worms to turn her into a 'true' Matou.

That Kariya had fought in the Fourth Holy Grail War to save Sakura from her fate, only to get killed for his efforts.

That in the end, she was more important than he was.

Shinji hated his father and Sakura more than ever after that day. He hated them both with every last fiber of his _being_. He hated Sakura for even _existing, _and he hated her even more for taking away the one true friend he had in life.

Often, he had thought of putting Sakura in her place by _spoiling_ her. By making her so tainted that she could never even _think_ of facing Shirou again. He even thought of telling Shirou himself of her former 'training', but no.

She was not worth the effort.

And on the day his father died thanks to having one too many drinks, he felt nothing. In fact, he only said one word after hearing the news.

"Good."

When the local church overseer promised that the Fifth Holy Grail War would occur a week ago, and had stated that Sakura would be a Master, he had his doubts. But when the Command Seals appeared on Sakura the very day the Fifth War was supposed to start, all his doubts were erased. Since Sakura had no true desire for the Grail, he told her to get it for him. After all, he did not know how to take the Command Seals off of her and put them on himself. If she won, the Grail would grant him _his_ wish. What Sakura did afterwards, he did not give a shit about. Or if she died with that loudmouth Assassin she summoned… well, it would not be that big of a loss to him.

Either way, he won in the end.

That little thought brought a small smile to Shinji's face as he flipped to the appropriate page of his textbook.

Oh yes, he would get what he wanted however this war went down. He would be the _true_ winner in the end.

**_Elsewhere (Kotomine Church):_**

"Okay, okay, what the Hell is going on?" Kirei asked as he looked from the TV to Wade. "Why is TIM focusing so much on side characters this chapter?"

"Because he hasn't been giving them that much attention for the past few chapters." Wade explained while opening another bottle of beer. "I mean, what is the point of having side characters if you don't give at least some character development?"

"You mean like Bob in your comics?" Kirei asked, only for Wade to smirk with glee.

"Aah, but Bob was meant to be my butt monkey from the day of his very creation! How can you take anybody seriously if they are constantly bullied to follow me under threat of death?" Wade seemed to think about that for a minute before saying, "Well to be fair, Blind Al wasn't that scared of me. But still, she was a very important hostage to me!"

"Whatever happened to Weasel in you comics anyway?" Kirei asked as he sipped his own beer. "TIM hasn't been able to keep up with your issues thanks to the fact that he is almost always broke."

"Thanks to the wonders of Wikipedia, he found out that Weasel betrayed me the last time we met." Wade replied wistfully while chucking the empty bottle over his shoulder. "I swear, if I were in my original canon, I would go through with my promise that I would do something horrible to him! I had this creative torture in mind just for Weasel! It was going to involve a rubber chicken, Justin Bieber blasting in his ears as I did the deed, _and _making him watch the Green Lantern movie!"

"Now _that_ is evil!" Kirei laughed out before sighing. "But unfortunately, our fourth wall breaking banter must come to a close. He still has to continue the story."

"Aw man, I wanna go out now!" Wade whined out while Kirei just kept changing the channels. "The fans want to see my awesomeness, I want to fight the others again, totally troll Artie, and make the story move forward to the…"

A Black Key then embedded into Wade's forehead, making him shut up. "Spoiling that part is a big no-no." Kirei said simply before he began to smirk. "But we _can_ say it will be pretty fucking epic."

"Aw man…."

**_Elsewhere (Dreamscape):_**

_Shirou blinked as he looked around the area. "Where am I?" It was a barren wasteland, filled with nothing but various swords stabbed into the ground. Each one was different, and Shirou himself could feel the power emanating from them. "What is this…?" Shirou then gasped as he laid eyes on a figure in the distance._

_It was a man, limping forward into the setting sun despite how numerous swords were imbedded into his body. Blood was flowing from his wounds, and despite being quite a distance from the man he could somehow see the numerous bullet wounds on his body as well. Shirou could see that the figure was wearing a tattered red coat, and in his clenched right hand was a small, red ribbon. _

_It looked like the one Sakura wore everyday. _

_Before Shirou could make sense of what he was seeing, the scene disappeared, and Shirou now found himself in a black void. Two blurry images appeared in front of him. They looked like swords, one black and one white. Suddenly, a tired voice whispered seemingly from everywhere…_

"Trace. On."

**_Reality:_**

"Shirou, wake up!"

"Huh?" Shirou muttered as he looked up to see Ayako looking down on him.

"Honestly Emiya, I would have never suspected you of all people to fall asleep during class." Ayako said with a huff before her eyes softened. "Say Emiya, are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I do?" Shirou muttered while placing his hand over his forehead. _"Is it because of that dream?"_ He then looked at Ayako and gave her his most reassuring smile before saying, "I'm fine Ayako-san. Just didn't get that much sleep last night."

Ayako looked at him with a raised eyebrow, obviously doubting that a lack of sleep was his only reason, before saying, "Alright, suit yourself Emiya."

"Hey Ayako-san, how are those guests of your doing?" Shirou suddenly asked, making Ayako stare at him with a confused expression. "I-I mean it's been days since you talked about them…"

Oh yes, Shirou knew that had to be the worst weak-assed excuse anyone could come up with, but this was his chance to learn more about Waver Velvet. If the man really was a veteran from the Fourth War, then he must know that the Holy Grail's corruption.

And perhaps they would have one more ally, if Shirou could only meet him one more time.

"Waver-san's been fine." Ayako informed Shirou while looking out the window. "He's just been going out a lot, never sticking around except for breakfast and dinner. Hell, he even goes off with Simon-san at night for some weird reason. His wife just says that he keeps going off to get more 'mistresses'…" Ayako's face turned into a slight sneer before saying, "I swear, what he sees in her I'll never know. She's as perverted as an old man…."

"But do you know where he usually goes?" Shirou asked with a slightly desperate voice, before Ayako shook her head.

"Nah, only his wife sticks around at my house for most of the day." Ayako replied with a sigh. "I've heard that he hangs around the shopping district, but I don't know the stores he frequents at. Why are you interested in him all of a sudden?"

"N-no reason!" Shirou told her before the bell rung. "Oh crap, I'm going to be late! See you!" With that, Shirou ran away at almost lightning speeds to his next class.

"H-hey, wait Emiya!" Ayako called out, only for Shirou to disappear into the crowds of students. Ayako sighed as she began walking towards her own class in a leisurely pace. She could afford to be late for once. _"Why is Emiya interested in Waver-san? Do they have a past or something?" _

Needless to say, Ayako was now interested in who the man staying in her house _really_ is.

**_Elsewhere (Dreamscape):_**

_Illyasviel looked around her to see a barren wasteland. There were no trees, no grass, and no flowers. Nothing that signified the ground was alive. Even the sky was a dull metal grey. Strangely shaped cliffs jutted out of the ground, trying to reach the seemingly lifeless sky. "What is this?" Illyasviel asked, before the sound of something collapsing came from behind her. Illyasviel turned around to see a robotic head with its 'eye' cracked. Its metal was rusting to an insane degree, far more than what should be considered normal. The eye glowed green before a robot voice mumbled from it…_

_"K-Kill Casshern…" _

_Illyasviel stumbled back in shock before her back bumped into something. She turned to see Berserker looking coldly into the distance, filled with a literal army of huge and monstrous robots that kept chanting out in a desperate, scared, and strangely hopeful voice…_

_"Kill Casshern… Devour Casshern…. Kill Casshern… Devour Casshern… KILL CASSHERN! DEVOUR CASSHERN!" _

_"Why would they want to eat him? I don't understand!" Illyasviel cried out, only for the scene to change once more. Illyasviel watched as Berserker saved two robots, who became lovers for some strange reason. She watched as they brought him to a community of robots…_

_And what she saw horrified her._

_All these robots had lost hope; instead they waited for the strange death known as 'The Ruin'. They actually _accepted_ death! However, what she heard from the small 'doctor' horrified her. _

_The only hope they had was finding, killing, and _eating_ Berserker._

_Despite this, Berserker did not leave, and instead defended them when a robot searching for Berserker came._

_However, the damage was done, and the community discovered Berserker's identity. The formerly content robots turned into savage animals at the first sliver of hope, and tried to kill Berserker. _

_However, Berserker killed them instead. He tore them limb from limb, ripped off their heads and tore them in half. He showed no mercy, even to those who tried not to get involved._

_"You really are immortal, aren't you?" The red-haired woman robot asked before she died as well, the robot dog whining at her corpse and growling at Berserker with hateful eyes. _

_"N-NO!" Berserker yelled in desperation as tears began to stream from his eyes. "I-I didn't mean to…" He then looked around, seeming like he was seeing his own work for the first time. He took a step back in horror before looking at his two hands. _

_"G-Gh-GHHHAAAAAAA!" _

**_Reality:_**

"GGHHHHAAAA~" Illyasviel cried out in fear as she began to pant out huge breaths of air. She sat up, still panting, before touching her own forehead and seeing that it was covered in sweat. _"Another dream sequence…"_ Illyasviel thought to herself before looking at the grandfather clock that was in her room. "I slept until twelve?"

Well, she had stayed up for practically all night. But still, shouldn't Berserker have woken her up by now?

_"I'll give him a talking too later."_ Illyasviel decided as she got up from her bed and looked out the window. From there, she saw Berserker sitting on a stool by the garden, simply looking at the flowers without his mask on, allowing his brown hair to flow with the wind.

Berserker was still a mystery to her. He was completely different from the character she had originally thought him to be. He was quiet, a bit sad a good portion of the time, he completely lost it in battles, he could heal from any wound, and finally there was the subject of his past.

Casshern never killed Luna, Berserker did.

Casshern was supposed to protect the world, Berserker said he killed it.

And finally, Casshern would never attack anybody that did not attack him.

Her Berserker slaughtered the entire commune of robots indiscriminately, from what she could tell with her latest dream.

Illyasviel remembered the look of utter pain and sorrow on Berserker's face during the dream, and it made her wonder…

_"Berserker, what really happened during your life?" _

**_Elsewhere (Matsuduri Residence):_**

Cristina sighed as laid on her bed, her feet kicking into the air as she flipped through another page of her manga 'Rosario + Vampire', giggling slightly as the character Tsukune was glomped by the succubus Kurumu's breasts in a hug. "I should try that on husband someday…"

Yes, the reason for Cristina's eccentricness was a simple one. When Kayneth Archibald first flew over to Japan, he attempted to familiarize himself with their culture in order to fit in more.

Unfortunately, he picked the wrong 'study material'.

And since Kayneth's arrogance would not accept how the Japanese consider 'low class' things like manga as entertainment, he left everything behind before making his ill-fated trip to Japan. Only for a young Cristina to stumble upon the Japanese comics…

…Making her into the perverted woman she is today.

Cristina sighed as she set down the manga. Her husband had gone off into the city alone again, not bringing her along to see the sights. Apparently, he believed that his appearance might bring on surprise attacks from the Servants and Masters, and he did not wish for her to be harmed. While romantic, it was a bit annoying. He knew that she could handle herself in a fight.

She was not the tenth head of the Archibald family for nothing.

"I suppose I will discuss it with him later…" Cristina muttered before looking back at her manga. "I do wonder what husband thinks of that Ayako girl…" Her husband could not have a proper harem unless he had at least one schoolgirl in it. And she could tell that the girl had some feelings for her husband, which were possibly hero/savior worship. Maybe she can play on that so that the girl can admit her feelings?

_"So many possibilities…"_ Cristina thought to herself before letting out a perverted giggle.

Some distance away, Waver shivered in fear as he continued to walk with Rider in the forest of Fuyuki.

**_Elsewhere (Streets of Fuyuki):_**

Lancer walked down the streets in her spirit form, ignoring the people who passed through her as she headed towards her Master's school. Her 'reunion' with the alternate version of Pilot Ikari had gone relatively well all things considered. For one, he hadn't kicked her out after realizing that she wasn't 'his' Rei Ayanami.

The second was that he still wanted to bond with her even though she was a different Rei from the one he knew.

Lancer wasn't one to actually understand or display her emotions, but she felt warmth within her when Shinji wanted to still be her friend.

Was this happiness? Originally, she had only felt the emotion with both Commander Ikari and her Pilot Ikari. But now…

_"I will discuss this with Master later…"_ Lancer thought before she stopped walking, and looked towards the direction of the forest covering the mountains. Thanks to her Presence Detection skill, she could detect the presence of Rider in the forest. And considering the dense woods, a battle with him could go on still in relative secret. _"Should I inform Master and ask for her permission?"_

No, Rider was the most dangerous player in the war. And with what her Master stated last night, his Master was a veteran of the Fourth Holy Grail War. Meaning that he knew of the Grail's corruption, yet still fought without trying to convince his opponents. He knew what was happening, but didn't care.

She would not get another chance to take out Rider.

_"I will accept whatever punishment Master deems fit later. For now, I must strike while I still have the chance."_ Lancer decided before jumping towards Rider's location.

**_Elsewhere (Hamurahara Gakuren Forest):_**

"This is sooo boring!" Assassin whined as he laid on top of a tree branch, Tsubaki sitting next to him with her feet dangling down as she looked at her Meister.

"Don't worry Black*Star, we only need to wait for a few more hours before Sakura and the others are allowed out." Tsubaki told Assassin, who just huffed in annoyance. "Besides, its been a while since we had any peace like this!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Assassin mumbled before looking upwards. "Its just that 'normal' school is too weird. Remember the DWMA? You can get into a fight any day or go out on missions, but _here_ fighting is prohibited, and there aren't any Kishin Eggs to keep me busy! I need something to prove just how big of a star I am!"

Tsubaki sighed at her partner's anxiousness before thinking, _"If this keeps going on, I'm going to get restless too…"_

Suddenly, Assassin's eyes widened before he shouted, "GET DOWN!" He then tackled Tsubaki, who squeaked in surprise, before a bullet passed by where they previously were and punched a hole into the tree trunk. "Tsubaki!"

"Right!" Tsubaki shouted before she transformed into her Kusarigama mode, which Assassin grabbed and shifted his stance into a defensive one. He looked from side to side as he waited for something before another shot rang out, and Assassin blocked the bullet with the scythe in his right hand.

"Alright you bastard, show yourself!" Assassin yelled out in anger as he looked around the area. He still couldn't find his attacker, who was most likely Archer considering his use of firearms. "You think you're so tough? I'm the great Assassin Black*Star! Presence Concealment is _my_ skill!"

"Who said?" Archer's voice asked childishly from behind him, making Assassin twist around and throw the scythe in his left hand, only for it to fly past empty space and imbed itself into a tree trunk. "Hey, what did that tree ever do to you?" Assassin then looked up to see Archer standing on a tree branch, his gun twirling on his right index finger. "I'm right here!"

"You bastard, what do you want?" Assassin growled out, making Archer's childish grin go down a bit.

"Rin asked me to take you out before school ended." Archer replied simply before he aimed his gun at Assassin. "Sorry, I can't let you leave this forest alive."

"Heh, you don't even know who your dealing with you bastard!" Assassin shouted out before pointing his right scythe at Archer. "I'm Black*Star, the biggest Servant in this damn war and the man who will surpass God himself! I will never loose to someone like you who has such a small Master!"

With that, Assassin launched himself towards Archer, who just grinned in response.

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Forest):_**

"Huh, so this is where Berserker and Caster duked it out huh?" Rider asked as he observed the smoothed out partial chasm that had some trees and other plants beginning to grow in it.

Rider and Waver had spent the day just hanging around Fuyuki City, checking out the sites before Waver brought him to the forest which held proof of the former war. He had seen burnt tree trunks, which Waver claimed were from the last Caster's strange fire-related Noble Phantasm. He also showed him giant footprints, which he recognized from Gurren Lagann and some others that Waver claimed were from Lancer's Noble Phantasm. One that matched Gurren Lagann for a bit but Gurren ultimately won.

That is, until the final fight where Lancer pulled a cheap shot to kill Kamina.

But there was no use dwelling on the past now. The real reason why they were all the way in the middle of nowhere was that Waver was hoping to have any Servant that might be tailing them after yesterday night would attack here, in a secluded area, rather than in Ayako's house.

Something that Rider could agree on.

"Yeah, me and Kamina were originally planning on going after Caster in the morning. But then Berserker got him, so we lost our chance at an extra Command Seal." Waver said with a sigh as he scratched the back of his head. "Never got to see this place close up before though…"

"Well at least…" Rider began before his eyes widened, he twisted his body around while unsheathing his nodachi, and knocking away a projectile and making it stab the ground, revealing it to be Lancer's spear.

"Shit. Lancer's here?" Waver cursed out while Rider gripped the nodachi in his right hand. Then, a white blur came out from the woods while Rider raised the nodachi to intercept it. Sparks flew as Rider held his ground while Lancer kept trying to force down her combat knife. Rider kicked the Servant away, making Lancer skid on the ground a bit before coming to a stop in a few feet.

"So, you really want to fight me Lancer? I won't go easy on you." Rider warned, only to receive no answer from her. Rider then grinned before shouting, "Alright then, let's go!"

For some reason, Waver was having an odd sensation of Deja vu.

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview! **

"Yo boys and girls! The Taiga Dojo starts now!" Taiga yelled out before tears streamed down her face before she began to sob out, "W-why…?"

"Why what Sensei?" Illyasviel asked while standing beside her.

"Why didn't I get my own section in this chapter?" Taiga yelled out before throwing herself on Illyasviel. "Am I not important enough to TIM?"

"There, there Sensei. You'll get your section eventually. And look on the bright side! Maiya and Sola-Ui didn't get a section to them either." Illyasviel commented while patting Taiga's back before looking at the 'viewers'. "Stay tuned for the next chapter, "Robot vs. Kai- I Mean Angel"!"

"CHECK IT OUT!" Taiga wailed before blowing her nose on Illyasviel's shirt.

**Omake-**** Different Servants- Berserker **

Illyasviel blinked as she looked at the Servant who stood in front of her. It was a big, no _huge_ man with white hair, glowing white eyes, and tanned red skin with strange markings all over it. His arms were covered with a strange gold-like metallic armor, as was his right foot. The rest of his body from the waist down was covered in ragged blue pants with red flame markings on them, and a golden sash that acted like a belt.

Most definitely _not_ Hercules.

But for some reason Illyasviel could feel like this was close enough.

**_Later:_**

Illyasviel smiled as she observed the various Servants and Masters in front of her before focusing on Shirou and Saber and saying, "Berserker, kill them all."

"Shirou, get behind me!" Saber yelled as she protectively got in from of Shirou and pointed her invisible sword at Berserker. "Prepare yourself Berserker, for I will no-!" She didn't finish, as Berserker's right fist met her jaw, and she seemed to get off the ground in slow motion with the noise of her jaw breaking echoing everywhere. Just as soon as it started, it ended with Saber shooting from where she was originally and crashed into Ryuudouji Temple while Berserker lowered his outstretched fist.

Everyone stared at the Servant in shock as he crossed his arms in front of him, power surged from his body, and in a flash of light Berserker now had a total of six arms with three on each side. "LET'S GO!"

And thus, Berserker, formerly known as the fallen demigod Asura, and Illyasviel made their mark on the Holy Grail War.

**Note-**** Yo! It's TIM here with another exciting chap of Fate:Stay Away! This one came out fairly quickly because I had some time on my hands and it flowed, but expect the next one to take longer. Because it will be Archer vs. Assassin and Lancer vs. Rider 2.0! **

**This chapter is betad by Chash123, since Sir Godot is busy. Thanks man. **

**Anyway, remember to check out Chash123's _Fate Chaos,_ which is inspired by my Fate:Zero Sense. Also check out Farmer Kyle's _Stitches _and Agitated Animator's _The Artist And The Faker._ Both of which were inspired by challenges, which you can find on my profile page. **

**Also check out Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and feel free to add anything you think would go there. **

**And review! Reviews help my muse, so the more reviews the better! Get reviewing! **

**…Please? **


	10. Robot Vs Kai-I Mean Angel

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here. **

Archer jumped back as Assassin threw his right scythe at him before firing a shot at his opponent's head, which was easily blocked by the flat of the left scythe's blade. "Hold still you bastard!" Assassin growled out as he gripped the chain and pulled it to the right, making the scythe change direction. However, Archer simply jumped up and planted his right foot on the blade, using it as a springboard to jump towards a branch above. The gunman grinned as he placed his weapon in his left hand and gripped the branch with his right before firing two shots at Assassin, who rolled to the right to avoid them.

"_Tsubaki: Shuriken Mode_!" Assassin yelled out as the Kusarigama, in a flash of light, changed to its giant Shuriken form that he then threw towards Archer, who simply lifted himself onto the branch in order to avoid being sliced in two. As soon as it passed over where he had been standing, Assassin grinned before yelling out, "_Tsubaki: Smoke Bomb Mode_!" The area around Archer was then covered in a dense grey smoke, making Assassin grin as he jumped towards the cloud, his right hand now crackling with energy. "Your mine! _Finishing Strike: Black*Star Bi-"_ Assassin then blinked as his elbow and fist hit nothing but air. "The Hell?"

_"Black*Star, behind you!"_ Tsubaki yelled out as the short sword materialized in Assassin's hand while he turned around to find Archer behind him. With that, Assassin held the edge of the sword to Archer's neck. However, Assassin could now see and feel the barrel of Archer's gun on his forehead.

_"Who the Hell is this guy?"_ Assassin thought as some cold sweat dribbled down his neck, something that Archer mirrored. _"I couldn't even sense him! Is this guy… an assassin too?"_

_"Kid's had some serious training." _Archer summarized as he narrowed his eyes, his gun not moving an inch from Assassin's forehead, who gripped his sword even tighter in response.

_"Mostly self-taught, but still…" _his eyes then flickered over to Assassin's Noble Phantasm before thinking, _"But I'm not just fighting one opponent. His weapon also has a consciousness. This might get a little tricky…"_

Several heartbeats passed before both Assassin and Archer jumped away to separate branches, putting some distance between them. "Have to say kid, you're pretty good." Archer commented while aiming his gun at Assassin.

"Don't call me a kid you bastard! I'm the great Assassin Black*Star! Remember it!" Assassin yelled out, making Archer sigh.

"Geeze, you're noisy. How you got to be Assassin is beyond me." Archer grumbled out, making Assassin narrow his eyes at him.

"And you?" Assassin asked, making Archer blink. "No one could possibly be that fast or silent unless they had some training to be an assassin. So out with it!"

"Well, I _used_ to be." Archer admitted before grinning at Assassin. "But I became a sweeper."

"You swept? What kind of lame job is that?" Assassin asked, making Archer's eye twitch in annoyance.

"I became a bounty hunter." Archer clarified before he loaded a mysterious red bullet into his gun. "But since I can't cash in a reward for letting you live…" Archer then fired the gun, making the mysterious red bullet speed towards Assassin.

"You think something as small as that would defeat me?" Assassin shouted as he jumped to his left to avoid the bullet. "I-" Suddenly, as the bullet hit the tree behind Assassin, a huge explosion occurred, knocking Assassin from his branch and making him race towards the ground. "GAH! _Tsubaki: Kusarigama Mode_!" With that, the short sword instantly changed into its chain scythe form before Assassin threw the scythe held in his left hand towards a tree trunk. As soon as it imbedded itself, Assassin pulled the chain, making him fly towards the tree instead. When his feet touched the trunk, Assassin launched himself towards Archer and kicked him in the gut. Archer's eyes widened in shock as they both fell to the ground while Assassin yelled, "Like I said before, don't you dare underestimate me you bastard!"

**_Elsewhere (Hamurahara Gakuren):_**

Sakura gasped lightly as she dropped her pencil on the floor. She could feel it. Assassin was draining her Mana away, meaning that he was in a fight. But with who? Nee-san's Archer? Kuzuki-sensei's Caster? Or perhaps it was one of the Servants from the other Masters? _"I-I need to go see if he is all right…" _Sakura thought to herself before raising her hand and asking, "Sensei, may I please be excused?"

"Sur-" Her teacher began to reply, however Sakura did not hear him finish before she bolted out of the door, passing the various rooms quickly as she headed towards the stairs. Not noticing two sets of eyes watching her leave.

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Forest):_**

Sparks flew as Rider parried another blow from Lancer's weapon. The two had been going on for what seemed like hours, but only Rider seemed to be getting the upper hand. Lancer herself felt irritation towards the fact that she had not been able to even so much as cut or bruise the Servant, mostly from the fact that he blocked all her bladed attacks and blocked all the hand-to-hand ones.

_"Rider is almost as agile as me, if not more so." _Lancer thought to herself as she ducked a sword swing from Rider. _"Perhaps I must change tactics…"_ With that thought, she raised her left hand before the spear appeared in it once more. Lancer then stabbed it towards Rider, who simply gripped the shaft before it pierced him. As soon as he did that, Lancer gripped the spear with both hands before lifting herself like a gymnast and kicked Rider in the face with both of her feet.

"Gh!" Rider cried out in shock before letting go of the spear, making Lancer back flip in the air before swinging the spear at him. However, Rider was somehow able to block it with his Nodachi, however, his feet skidded in the dirt as the force of the blow pushed Rider to the side by several inches. "Heh, nice job Lancer." Rider stated before grinning, revealing that he looked relatively fine except for some blood leaking from his nose. "But it's going to take a lot more than that to finish me off!"

"_A.T Field_." Lancer said simply before the multi-colored hexagonal 'shield' pushed Rider back by several feet while Lancer rushed forward with her spear in her left and the knife in her right. As soon as she got close enough she slashed at Rider with her knife, only to leave a small slightly bleeding cut on his abdomen and tore off some of his coat. Lancer then swung her spear, the shaft hitting Rider in his side and launching him away and making him roll on the ground.

_"Damn it…"_ Waver thought to himself in frustration as he kept on observing the battle. It was times like these where he wished he could just take out a cigar and light it up right now. Unfortunately, to do so would bring Lancer's attention back on him. And without Rider summoning Lagann, he could not assist in the battle. If they were against a Servant like Archer, he would pull out 'Bender' and be relatively safe. (Luckily, the defective Code still took in its old orders and reacted accordingly.) However, to do so against Lancer without Lagann would be suicidal. And he could _not_ be taken out of the game this early. _"Come on Rider, I know you can beat her."_

Rider rolled on the ground a bit more before righting himself, his shoes skidding on the dirt before launching himself towards Lancer, who stayed perfectly still.

"_A.T Field_." She intoned as Rider stabbed his Nodachi towards her midsection, stopping the blade in place before she took a step forward and shot her right hand forward. However Rider caught her by the wrist before attempting to throw her over his shoulder. She twisted her body to whack her left foot in the back of his head, making Rider let go of her before turning around and planting his right fist into her stomach, making Lancer gasp in pain before falling to the ground.

_"She knows how to pack a punch…"_ Rider thought idly while rubbing the back of his (now sore) head. Indeed, while Lancer improvised most of her moves with the spear and knife she made up for it with her speed and hand-to-hand combats techniques. She used her small frame to its supreme advantage by performing numerous gymnastic-like moves on him. While Rider himself was not too shabby when it came to a good fashioned fistfight, there was really no technique behind his moves. He just used whatever he felt would work the best and do the most damage. But in the end, if the fight kept going on like this it would never end.

A thought that was shared by his opponent.

_"The progress of this battle is not good."_ Lancer thought to herself with a slight narrowing of her eyes. _"Rider is too skilled for me to land a fatal blow, and he has not revealed a single one of his Noble Phantasms. I must end this."_ Lancer then frowned. _"But it's too noticeable. Then again, if I were to end this quickly with _that_, it would be chalked up to mass hysteria."_ With that logic in mind, Lancer let out a small, gentle whisper. "_Zeruel_"

"Huh?" Rider asked in confusion before Lancer fell onto her knees and began to dry heave. This was getting weird, and something in Rider's mind told him something was _wrong_. In the whole 'get Gurren Lagann and drill her full of holes as quickly as possible' sense and not the 'should I call an ambulance?' sense.

He did not like the feeling.

"The Hell is happening?" Waver muttered before his eyes widened as Lancer began to barf out a red-colored liquid from her mouth. His nose crinkled at the smell before thinking, _"Is that… blood?_" And it did not end there, for the blood-like liquid began to flow out from Lancer's eyes, nose, and ears until a small puddle formed under her. Then Lancer herself seemed to dissolve into the liquid, confusing both Master and Servant.

"…Was that supposed to happen?" Rider asked in an unsure tone, while Waver just shook his head.

"…I'm not sure…" Waver replied before he noticed something new to the whole scene.

"…What's happening with the spear?" Indeed, now the spear was now floating in the air above Lancer's 'puddle' emitting a blood-red glow. The spear then got brighter as the liquid began to rise, grow, and even _form_ before Waver and Rider's eyes. What was formerly a small puddle now transformed into a huge pillar of blood-red liquid. It then began to form into a slightly humanoid (although humongous) shape before solidifying. What Waver and Rider saw now shocked them.

It looked like a grotesque naked female, and yet it did not. Its 'feet' were simply stubs. Its skin was completely gray save for a few darker grey patches on its legs and chest. On its chest, right between its pert 'breasts' was a hole with several bone-like 'ribs' jutting out, a red orb shining in the center of it. Right above its spider-like long arms and shoulders was a mess of grey paper-like appendages, some flowing in the wind. And to the siders of its head were huge orange-colored 'eyes'. Its face however, shocked them the most. It was bone white, and looked like a bird's skull.

_"Ah crap…" _Both Waver and Rider thought at the same time before a low, mournful wail echoed throughout Fuyuki.

The Angel of Might has arrived.

**_Elsewhere:_**

Sakura carefully passed by the trees of the forest nearby the school with a worried expression on her face. Even though she knew it was a _bit_ suicidal to try and find her Servant while he is in the middle of a battle with another Servant, she had to make sure he was okay. Despite his arrogant and loud personality, Assassin had grown on her. And she would not be able to live with herself if she hid in school like a coward while he was fighting for her sake.

She was not a heartless monster.

She ignored the screams of her classmates, and shrugged of the feeling of dread that the loud wail instilled on her. At least now no one would question her disappearance. _"Maybe I should have asked Sempai or Luvia-san to come with me just in case?"_ Sakura suddenly thought to herself, and promptly mentally kicked herself for not thinking of that sooner. She should head back now and…

"Where do you think you're going Matou?"

Sakura froze at the voice, and slowly turned around before seeing Rin looking at her coldly with a _Gandr_ aimed at her. _"Nee-san…"_

"I was hoping that Archer would eliminate Assassin sooner, but it seems like your Servant is a bit more skilled than he makes himself out to be." Rin mentioned, not taking her eyes off of Sakura. "Now, surrender your Command Seals and you will get out of this unharmed."

"Why are you doing this?" Sakura asked in a hurt and frustrated tone. "There's no point in getting the Holy Grail! It's corrupted! Any wish you make on it will just bring more suffering!"

"Figures you would buy that." Rin muttered to herself before saying, "Like I'd fall for the Edelfelt's tricks. I'm not as naïve as you are. Now I'll ask you again, surrender your Command Seals. And you better hurry up, two Servants are battling in broad daylight and I can simply call up Archer to help me speed up the process."

Sakura gulped before grabbing her left hand with her right, covering the Command Seals. She didn't want to fight her sister. It would make Kariya-Ojisan sad in the afterlife, and despite all that had happened, she was still her sister. But what else could she do?

"I-I…"

A gunshot then echoed through the air, and Rin's eyes widened in shock as she felt a small amount of blood trickle down her cheek.

"Step away from Sakura, Tohsaka."

**_Elsewhere (Ryuudoji Temple):_**

Caster's eyes narrowed as she looked at the humongous creature out in the distance. It was another Servant probably using their Noble Phantasm. In broad daylight no less! _"This will cause complications…"_

If she had a more reliable Prana source, she would have gone over there and put an end to the fighting before the Servant made things worse. However, her only Prana sources came from the Leyline and… Caster shook her head. Even though it was necessary to gain more Prana to better fight in the war, it did not stop the feeling of betrayal that ate away at her heart. Would _he_ look at her the same way ever again after she made her wish? She could not say, and she was also hurt on how her Master felt about the whole affair.

Or more accurately, the lack of feeling anything about it.

The night before seemed… empty. Despite it being necessary, she expected her Master to feel _something_ about the situation. But no, she had felt nothing. He simply went through the motions, nothing more.

And that frightened Caster a bit.

_"No, I cannot think about that right now."_ Caster thought to herself while shaking her head. _"I must remain here and be ready to guard our stronghold. This temple is too great of a location to simply let go."_

With that, Caster waited and hoped this war wasn't completely ruined already.

**_Elsewhere (Bazette's Apartment):_**

_"Zeruel is here? What the fuck?" _Avenger thought to himself with wide and surprised eyes as he looked outside of the window to see the massive Angel towering over Fuyuki City. _"And it's the Rebuild version too. Which means that it belongs to…"_ "Shit."

This was not good. The Rebuild version of Zeruel was much more powerful than its original self in every way. Not even and Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm could make it flinch if the being knew it was coming.

And if his hunch was right, it was _Lancer's_ Noble Phantasm.

That put her up several notches on his 'priority' list.

"Avenger, come on!" Bazette shouted in a frustrated tone as she put on her brown jacket and opened the door. "They are evacuating the building, and will search for me if I'm not on roll call."

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about the Holy Grail War being discovered Master?" Avenger asked, only for Bazette to shake her head.

"After the Fourth Holy Grail War, a contingency plan was invented for an event like this. Who knows? It may now be in the next Neo movie." Bazette responded, making Avenger sigh before dissipating from view.

Why couldn't this war have just stuck to _regular_ heroes? Hell, he would rather face 'True' Avenger again than having to deal with this crap.

**_Elsewhere (Einzbern Manor):_**

"Mein Gott…" Illyasviel muttered in her native tongue as she looked towards where the monstrous form was rising. She had gotten dressed and went out to the garden to see what Berserker was doing (And tell him to hurry up with her breakfast!) when that _sad_ wail echoed out, followed by the appearance of the… the… "…_Monster."_

She didn't know why, but that _thing_ instilled some deep-rooted fear in her. It made her want to run away from Fuyuki City as quickly as possible just to put some distance between her and it. Even _with_ Berserker standing not even a few feet from her, ready to defend her with all his might.

"Master, what should we do?" Berserker asked, making her jump slightly in surprise.

"W-we retreat for now." Illyasviel said shakily while looking at her Servant. "W-we're going to gather information from a distance!"

"…Alright." Berserker responded before picking up Illyasviel and jumping away from their location. _"That thing, it scares her…"_

**_Elsewhere (Rooftops of Fuyuki):_**

Saber scowled as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, unnoticed by the panicking crowds. She had wanted to go with Shirou to school earlier, but trusted that he would be safe with Lancer and Assassin's Masters, considering the fact that the two Servants could hide in Spirit Form unlike her.

Now, she regretted not raising this point.

At least now, she could head over to where Shirou was without causing a scene. But she should assist Assassin against his opponent. It would make the Servant and its Master retreat before things escalate even more than they already had.

_"Still, what is that creature?"_ Saber thought to herself while looking back. _"And why does it… feel familiar?"_

Never mind that, she would deal with such questions later. Right now the safety of her Master was top priority.

**_Elsewhere (Ahnenerbe Café):_**

_"N-No! This can't be happening!"_ Shinji thought to himself as he breathed in and out, which could almost be mistaken for gasping, and sweat rolled off of his face. _"Why? Why is an Angel here!?"_

Those creatures… they helped end his world. They helped to bring him even more pain to his life! His father used them as tools to make him suffer and complete his sick plan! They killed Rei! They made Asuka go into a coma! They made Kaworu turn from caring friend into foe!

He had to do something.

He would not let his sick past repeat itself!

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Church):_**

"It's about freaking time that TIM got to the Lancer/Rider fight!" Deadpool cheered on the roof of the church while munching on some popcorn. "I mean, think of how anxious these fans were while he was spending two weeks playing Assassin's Creed 3 and watching Cowboy Bebop!"

"Do _not_ dis Cowboy Bebop." Kirei warned, only for Wade to simply giggle.

"I know, I know. Still, good to know that he was able to get off his ass to write this chapter and not spend his time on a computer drooling over Evangelion 3.0!"

"Honestly, to be Shinji in any incarnation of Evangelion is suffering." Kirei chuckled out before sighing. "But now we have to get back to the fight…"

"Aw man, this is going to be _awesome~_!" Wade sung out before eating another mouthful of popcorn.

**_Back To Waver and Rider:_**

"_Lagann!_" Rider shouted before the small mecha burst from the ground and Rider jumped into the cockpit. Within the span of five seconds he grabbed the controls and sped towards Waver. "Get in!"

"R-right!" Waver shouted before jumping on Lagann. Rider then turned Lagann to Zeruel, only to see it not moving.

"What the Hell is she planning?" Rider muttered to himself before a shrill whistling sound echoed in his ears.

Waver looked up before shouting, "Close the canopy!" Rider looked up to see multiple layers of the same shields Lancer used, now hovering above Lagann's location. It then crashed down, spreading smoke everywhere and leaving a huge crater where they previously were. A second later Lagann came out of the ground, a huge drill sticking out of its forehead and an annoyed 'expression' on its 'face'.

Inside the mecha, Waver and Rider were learning the purpose of 'personal space'.

"Get your hand off of my face!"

"I'm trying! Just wait a min-"

"GAHHH! Don't step there!"

"Sorry!"

"Damn it! Where the Hell is that button!?"

With that, the canopy opened to reveal a slightly haggard looking Rider and Waver. "Well, looks like we're going to need a bigger drill." Rider commented with a grin while looking at Lancer's monstrous Noble Phantasm. He then took off his necklace and shouted, "_My Drill Is My Soul_!" before twisting the small drill like a key. A green portal then appeared in front of them, revealing Gurren in all its glory. However, it was only a bit different from what Waver remembered it as. Now, it seemed to have two black wings with yellow tips on its back and some sort of thruster engine. "Alright, time to combine!" With that, Lagann launched into the air, the canopy closing once more, before its arms and legs retracted and a huge drill appeared on the bottom of the tiny mecha. It then crashed on top of Gurren, before a hole appeared on Lagann's floor.

"What the…?" Waver muttered before Rider pushed him down the hole. "GAH!" He then tumbled down the hole and was 'spat out' by the drill into Gurren's pilot seat. Waver looked around and thought to himself, _"T-this was Kamina's seat…"_ Waver stayed quiet for a minute, remembering his former Servant piloting bravely in the very seat he was sitting on. Never showing fear towards either Lancer or Berserker while he was on Lagann.

"Hey, you okay?" Rider's voice asked as his picture appeared on screen.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Waver responded before gripping the controls. "Let's do it!" Green bars then encompassed both their screens as Gurren and Lagann transformed. Gurren's legs and arms grew bigger and more human-like, a mechanical neck now attached Lagann to Gurren, and the samurai-like helmet placed itself on top of Lagann.

Gurren Lagann was back in business.

Without wasting a second, Rider made the mecha rush forward while transforming its right arm into a massive drill. "GHHHAAAAA!" Rider shouted his battle cry as they got closer before thrusting the drill forward, only to meet the same multiple-layered shield. "LIKE THAT WILL STOP US!" Rider shouted before making the drill spin even faster. The shields were now breaking from the force and speed, however, it still looked like there were several more to go. Suddenly Zeruel's arms transformed into four of its black cloth-like appendages before changing into the shape of drills.

"Look out!" Waver shouted before making Gurren Lagann jump to the side as the 'drills' passed by where it was originally in breathtaking speeds.

"Thanks!" Rider shouted before glaring at Zeruel. "I think I have an idea on how to take this thing out." With that, the thruster on Gurren Lagann's back came to life and launched the mecha into the air. "Eat this!" With that, Gurren Lagann shot numerous spiral drill missiles at Zeruel, only for it to deflect each with its _A.T Field_. As soon as they landed on the ground in an almost circular-like pattern, they began to spin before numerous cracks appeared on the ground below Zeruel. The ground caved in, but Zeruel did not fall. Instead a halo made of light appeared above Zeruel's 'head' before it floated towards Gurren Lagann.

"It can fly too?" Waver asked in shock while Rider just grinned.

"Alright you bastard, if that's how you want to play it, that's fine with me!" Rider shouted before a humongous drill replaced the right arm once more, but now it was _even bigger_ than before. Gurren Lagann then sped forward, to which Zeruel put up several more layers of its _A.T Field_ to block it. However this time the drill was going through them like paper. The black paper-like appendages then sped forward with the full intent of slicing the mecha to pieces. However, ports then appeared on Gurren Lagann's body before several drill missiles launched themselves to intercept the appendages. They broke of course, but not before diverting them from their original target. In a few seconds, the drill broke through the final layer only for Zeruel's arms to transform into its black appendages and slice the right arm off. Instead of stopping, Gurren Lagann tackled Zeruel back into the ground, creating a huge tremor throughout the city that set off several car alarms.

"We have to keep this up! We can't give Lancer an opportunity to fight back!" Waver shouted as he looked worryingly towards the mini-screen that showed Gurren Lagann missing a right arm. Their ability to fight might be cut in half, but they can't give Lancer an opportunity to mount up another defense.

Suddenly, Zeruel's eyes lit up before Gurren Lagann was launched away from the Angel. "Damn, she recovers fast!" Rider yelled out, watching Zeruel get back on its feet. However, another monstrous yell then echoed throughout the air before a purple blur tackled Zeruel and knocked it to the ground. "What the…?"

_"La-Shinji?!" _Waver thought in surprise as Unit-01 straddled Zeruel and began to punch on its core.

"GAAAAAHHHH!" Shinji yelled within Unit-01 pounded on the Angel's core. He knew this Angel. Like the third, it was the one that gave him numerous nightmares. It's the one that he had barely defeated, and after doing so everything just went to Hell. He _had_ to kill it! He didn't know why it was here, but he was damn sure going to make sure it did not remain! As its 'ribs' closed up the core, Shinji made Unit-01's hands begin to pry them apart while shouting, "JUST FUCKING DIE!"

_"Pilot Ikari! STOP!"_

"Huh? Rei?" Shinji asked in a bewildered voice as his eyes widened. "Rei, I-is that you?"

_"Yes, it is me Pilot Ikari. This is my Noble Phantasm." _Lancer's voice answered in his mind, making Shinji's eyes widen even more. He had just hurt Rei. He would have even _killed_ her if she hadn't said anything! _"I apologize for not informing you earlier."_

"Okay, just what the Hell is going on here? Who are you?" Rider called out from Gurren Lagann, making Shinji look at them with narrowed eyes.

"That's the Lancer from the previous war. He survived due to certain circumstances that I'm not even sure about." Waver informed Rider, before squinting his eyes towards the sky. "We need to make ourselves scarce. I see the military has noticed us."

"Damn. We'll just have to finish this some other time then." Rider said with a sigh before the cockpits of both Gurren and Lagann opened and both Master and Servant got out. As they left, with Rider keeping a wary eye on Shinji, Gurren Lagann disappeared from view. And at the same time, Unit-01 disappeared from view while Shinji floated onto the ground. Zeruel simply turned into its previous blood-red liquid form before shrinking and forming into a very naked Lancer, who simply stared at Shinji who blushed before taking off his white button-up shirt, leaving him in his white sleeveless undershirt before handing it to Lancer.

"H-here Rei, y-you need to cover yourself up." Shinji stammered out while Lancer slowly took the shirt and put it on, barely covering up her... _dignity_. "R-rei… I'm…"

"There is no need to apologize Pilot Ikari." Lancer suddenly said before beginning to trot down the mountain. "Come, we must leave before the military investigates."

With that, Shinji only dumbly nodded before following her. _"Please God, if you are out there… do not let Taiga-chan find out about this…"_

**_Back With Assassin and Archer:_**

"You know what, I've had enough of you." Assassin said, suddenly in a dead-serious tone that surprised Archer. "Tsubaki, you ready?"

_"Yes. Let's do it Black*Star."_ Tsubaki replied in his mind, making Assassin grin.

"Let's go! _Soul Resonance: Uncanny Sword_!" Assassin shouted before Tsubaki transformed into its familiar black blade form with white stripes on the hilt. As black markings began to spread on Assassin's face, he then whispered, "_Shadow*Star: First Form- Chain of Blackness._" The sword then shifted into a long, black, sickle-like blade with white ornate markings on it. The handle was accentuated with three points, and a long black chain was attached to it and led to…

_"It's coming from his shadow?"_ Archer thought in surprise before Assassin _threw _the blade at him, making Archer jump to the side, only for the blade to immediately turn right, making Archer's eyes widen. _"He can change its trajectory at will as well?"_

Archer kept jumping from branch to branch, and even ran up a tree trunk once. But no matter what he did, the blade kept following him. He looked back at Assassin, who had not even moved an inch since he threw the blade. _"I see, he needs to focus if he uses this for long range purposes." _Archer then jumped as the blade lopped off the branch he was standing on. _"All I need to do is break that focus."_ With that, Archer fired his gun and made the bullet ricochet off numerous trees before heading towards Assassin's head. However, the chain surrounding Assassin suddenly lurched upwards, deflecting the bullet just before it hit him. _"Damn…"_

"You get it yet, Archer? You're years too early to try and take on a big guy like me." Assassin said confidently while looking at Archer directly in the eyes. "If you keep trying to pull this crap on me, I'll just knock you back down where you belong!"

_"Guess I'll have to use it."_ Archer thought with a sigh before pointing his gun at Assassin again. This time however, electricity seemed to be dancing on the barrel of his gun before he shouted out, "_Railgun_!"

"Rail-wha…?" Assassin asked before Archer fired. However, as opposed to his previous shots, this one glowed with energy and traveled in astonishing speeds. Before Assassin knew it, and before he could even think of blocking it, the bullet impacted with his right shoulder. "GGGAAAAAHHHH!"

"Black*Star!" Tsubaki shouted in shock as she reverted into her human form and watched as electricity seemed to flow on Assassin as he screamed in pain. After a second, it was done. And Assassin gasped in pain as his body was covered in burn marks and blood seeped from his gunshot wound.

"That's my Noble Phantasm. I can fire three a day." Archer informed Assassin before aiming his gun at him again. "Let's see you survive the second one."

"GAH!" A cry rang out, making Archer raise his gun to block the sword strike from Saber. Archer grit his teeth as Saber easily pushed him away with her strength before jumping down and standing in front of Assassin and Tsubaki. "Tend to Assassin's wounds. I shall deal with Archer."

"D-don't t-think so." Assassin mumbled as he stood straight up and glared at Archer. "That bastard's mine!"

Archer clicked his tongue in annoyance as he looked at both Saber and Assassin. He could take both on, but it looked like Assassin still had enough life in him to fight and Saber was at full strength. It would take time to actually take them both out. Archer then turned and ran, making Saber scowl.

"Come on, he may be trying to find Sakura and that Shirou kid." Assassin spoke up, making Saber nod before beginning to follow the direction Archer left at while he ran with Tsubaki beside him.

**_Back With Rin and Sakura:_**

"Emiya-kun." Rin stated simply as she looked to see Shirou aiming his handgun at her. She then scowled at his 'guest', who currently held a fist full of Mana-infused jewels. "Edelfelt."

"I'm warning you again Tohsaka, get away from Sakura right now or else me and Luvia will make you regret it." Shirou warned again, while Luvia simply nodded in confirmation.

"Figures a novice Magus like you would fall for Edelfelt's ploy." Rin said while turning to them, now making the _Gandr_ aim at them. Really, she was hoping to take Sakura out of the war with the least amount of effort possible. Now the situation was spiraling out of control. "And to use _guns_ of all things."

"If I remember correctly, someone murdered Magi for a living using modern weaponry." Luvia mentioned, making Rin frown and look at her with anger. "Now, now. Don't try anything unseemly Tohsaka. I would hate to accidentally throw these things at you because you continued to act like an uncivilized brute."

"You bitch…" Rin muttered in disdain while shifting her eyes from Shirou to Luvia. She could tell each of those jewels had enough energy to make them into makeshift grenades, and if she attacked Shirou first Luvia would launch them to her. Meanwhile if she attacked Luvia first, Shirou would fire on her.

It was a lose-lose situation either way.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her. She turned around to see Archer with fairly serious eyes. "Situation is not good. We're getting out of here." With that, Archer jumped away with her in tow.

"Damn…" Luvia muttered as she watched Rin and her Servant retreat. In all honesty, she was hoping that the Tohsaka would try something. At least then she would have an excuse to take her out.

"Sakura!" Shirou shouted as he put away his gun and ran towards the girl. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes Sempai…" Sakura muttered while looking away, her cheeks slightly reddening at his concern. "I'm fine…"

"That's good to hear." Shirou said with a sigh of relief. He had seen her rush out of class, followed by Rin. He got worried, so he informed Luvia during class before asking if they could be excused. For some reason, a bunch of guys chuckled while the girls giggled.

Suddenly, Saber ran from the woods followed by a severely injured Assassin and Tsubaki. "Shirou, are you…"

"No, Archer left with Rin. He didn't try to hurt any of us." Shirou answered for her, to which Saber gave a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe that bastard ran out on our fight! When I get my hands o-GAH! Damn, my shoulder hurts!" Assassin wailed out while clutching his bullet wound.

"Stand still Black*Star so I can take it out! You'll just make it worse if you move around too much!" Tsubaki fretted, making Shirou snicker, Saber smirk, and Sakura giggle a bit.

Luvia then blinked before asking, "Say, where's Lancer?"

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"WHHHHAAAAATTTT!?" Taiga shouted while pointing to the computer screen of her laptop. "HOW CAN YOU BE ATTRACTED TO HER?!"

"What's wrong Sensei?" Illyasviel asked, only for Taiga to begin sobbing.

"My Shinji-kun is being driven away from me by that albino piece of jail bait! And just because she shows more fanservice than me!" Taiga sobbed out while Illyasviel looked at her weirdly.

"You weren't too broken up about it last chapter Sensei." Illyasviel mentioned, making Taiga sob even harder before she dropped the laptop and began to open her shirt.

"I can show fanservice too! Look at me my fans! Shinji-kun!" Taiga sobbed out while Illyasviel just sighed.

"Stay tuned for the next chapter 'Jamming In Fuyuki'!" Illyasviel shouted before looking back at Taiga. "Sensei, cover yourself!"

"CHECK IT OUT!" Taiga wailed as she began to take off her bra before the 'screen' turned black.

**Omake-** **Different Servants: Rider**

Waver Velvet blinked as he saw the Servant in the center of the array who was definetly _not_ the Rider that was his friend. Rather than the confident blue-haired loudmouth man he knew as a friend, in front of him was a man with fluffy green hair and reddish-brown eyes with one appearing to be lighter than the other. He wore a blue leisure suit with a yellow shirt and fairly big blue shoes.

"Yo, I'm the Servant Rider. You my Master?" The man asked in a slightly bored and tired tone, making Waver blink.

"Y-yeah, I am…" Waver responded, trying to hide the disappointment in his tone.

"You were trying to get someone else weren't you?" 'Rider' asked with a raised eyebrow while Waver simply nodded. Rider sighed at this before reaching into his pocket and taking out a beat-up looking cigarette box and popping a slightly bent cigarette into his mouth. He then took out his lighter before lighting his cigarette, and as he put it away he took a deep breath of the smoke before letting it out from the corner of his mouth. "Say, you know someplace where we can get some meat? I'm starving."

Waver looked at the Servant before smiling and nodding. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing after all…

As Rider followed Waver and his wife, he looked to the stars with a slight smirk on his face before saying, "Whatever happens, happens…

And thus began the partnership between Rider, once known through life as the 'cowboy' Spike Spiegel, and Waver Velvet.

See you around Space Cowboy…

**Note-**** Oh man! It's been two weeks since this bad boy got updated! I hope you guys think the wait was worth it! Anyway, I know you guys have heard about Evangelion 3.0 which was released on Saturday, and I only have three words to describe what I've heard about it. **

**WHAT…. THE… FUCK!? **

**I won't get into any details so that you guys aren't spoiled, but let's just say even Rebuild isn't pulling any punches when it comes to Shinji's mental state. **

**Anyways, do not forget to check out my challenge takers, which you can find on my profile page. Some of them are really good. **

**Also remember to check out Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and add on whatever you feel like belongs there. **

**And review! Reviews help my muse, and the more reviews the faster the next chapter might get out! So get reviewing!**

**…Please? **


	11. Jamming In Fuyuki

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here. **

Ayako quietly opened the door to her house before closing it behind her, being sure not to make a single sound as she took of her shoes and placed them on the rack. She had spent most of the morning in one of the shelters around Fuyuki City that had been built a few years ago in case an incident like the Fuyuki Fire were to ever happen again.

As it turned out, like ten years ago, all the panic was for nothing.

_"Seriously, what is it with that stupid director shooting his movies here?"_ Ayako thought bitterly as she tip-toed down the hallway. Again, like ten years ago, the panic about 'giant monsters' and 'giant mechas' were caused by really realistic holograms and controlled explosions for the third movie of the Neo. There had been talks going around about the third movie getting underway for years, but it had been slightly dampened after Anno went to rehabilitation for depression that, in retrospect, explained some of the angstier elements of Neo 2. However, three years ago, he had returned from rehabilitation and restated his desire to be in the Neo brain-trinity.

While the mayor of Fuyuki ate up all the tourism the city got for being the prime shooting location of the first movie, she was just disgusted with how carelessly the directors tore the city a new one _again_!

It might also have to do with the fact that her favorite clothing and yogurt store had been caught in the controlled explosions.

_"My, my, that was certainly some big news Yui!"_ A voice came from the living room, making Ayako freeze up before slowly peeking around the corner. She then saw Rider reclining on the sofa watching television, which was strange because he usually spent most of his time hanging out with Waver. _"Not to mention that a recent leak in Genesis studios has revealed the identity of a new character in the latest Neo movie, one Kaworu Nagisa! His character is already making controversy…"_

But now, she had the _perfect _opportunity to see who her savior truly was!

Cristina was most likely out with Waver, since she did not see her shoes by the rack and Waver was gone as usual. And with Rider lounging around watching TV she could now look in their room and see if Waver was truly hiding something or not! _"But it'll just be a quick peek._" Ayako assured herself as she tiptoed past the door. _"It'll probably be nothing and I'll end up feeling stupid afterwards…"_

She then quietly got up the stairs before opening the door a few inches and peeked through the crack. The bed was neatly made and the futon on the floor was folded. It seemed like Waver didn't really like messes all that much. Confident that no one was in the room, Ayako opened the door fully before closing it behind her. She then spotted a long dark-red bag with a guitar case leaning against it, making Ayako confident that it was Waver's. She then gulped as she walked towards it and reached her hand out for the bag. _"Just one peak, and then I'll leave."_ Ayako assured herself before setting the bag down and opening it up.

Surprisingly, it was very well organized. Pants were on the left side of the bag while shirts, underwear, and socks were on the right. Ayako took out one shirt and looked at it. It was a black shirt with a red health-symbol on it and the English words 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' circling around the symbol. It was a regular shirt, so she simply put it down. _"Guess he likes rock music…"_ Ayako thought to herself while picking up two CDs that were also in the bag. _ "Alright, U2's War… Motley Crue's Dr. Feelgood…" _Setting those down, she rummaged some more throught the bag. _"Cowboy Bebop the complete collection… a copy of 1984… pack of gum… half-empty box of Cuban cigars…_" Ayako blushed a bit as her right hand made contact with Waver's underwear. _"He wears boxers… God damn it…"_ Ayako sighed a bit as she began to put things back in place with a slightly ashamed look on her face. _"I'm such an idiot. Why was I doubting hi-"_

"HEY! Quit touching my junk pervert!"

"EEEEEK!" A loud voice made Ayako screech like a… well… _girl_ as she landed on her ass and backed away from the bag. "W-what the…?"

"Hey! You going to keep gaping all day or are you going to get me out of this damn thing?" The voice asked in an annoyed tone, making Ayako inch closer to the bag before opening a small pocket on the side of it, revealing a test-tube with a cork on top containing a shiny metal liquid with two white 'eyes' glaring at her.

"W-what are you?" Ayako whispered out with wide-eyes thinking, _"T-this can't be happening! I-I must be dreaming or something! Yeah! That has to be it!"_

"Bender Bending Rodriguez!" The _thing_ announced proudly before returning to glaring at her. "Now hurry up and let me out! I need to find that meat bag and…!"

"D-do you mean Waver-san?" Ayako asked softly at the tube, which simply blinked in response. If this was simply a dream, then she might as well go along with it. "Please, what are you and what is Waver-san doing with you?"

"Now, now, he can't tell you that." A new voice called out, making Ayako turn to see a smiling Cristina with a cup of coffee in her hands. "Now, wouldn't you like some of this coffee?" With that, Cristina showed her the top of the drink, which still had the cream swirling around it and steam coming off the top.

_"I-It looks nice… smells good…" _Ayako thought drearily before closing her eyes and falling to her side, snoring peacefully.

"OW! Damn it!" Bender shouted as his 'container' made contact with the floor. Cristina then set down the cup before picking him up. "What the Hell are you looking at?"

"We can't have you making a scene. It would cause problems for me and husband." Cristina chided to the faulty Code, making it glare at her.

"Oh, you and the meat bag can bite my shiny metal a-" Before Bender could finish that thought, Cristina muttered a short incantation before placing her finger on the top, silencing Bender's shouts of protests before placing him in her dress pocket.

She then sighed before looking behind her and saying, "Thank you Rider."

"No problem, thought you should have known since she was acting all sneaky-like." Rider responded while looking at Ayako with a worried expression. "…She's been acting weird for a bit now."

"It should be expected. After all, we are complete strangers to her." Cristina said with a shrug before kneeling down. "I may not be as good as husband in Memory Manipulation, but I should be able to replace what had happened here."

Rider nodded at that before walking out of the room. Waver had gone off earlier without telling anyone, leaving Rider inside of the house. While he knew that he could trust Waver, it made him a bit curious as to why the Magus knew the Servant who had intervened on their fight with Lancer. Waver claimed that the Servant was the former Lancer of the last war, which by all rights should be impossible.

But then again, Rider had made it his business in life to _do_ the impossible.

_"I'll ask him about it later."_ Rider reasoned with himself as he went towards the living room again. He _really_ wanted to try out the game system that the Mitsuduri's owned.

Cristina looked down at Ayako before thinking, _"Hm, I better get started."_ She then placed her hand on Ayako's head and closed her eyes. _"However, this could be my chance to increase husband's harem! Perhaps I should make Ayako a bit more… _honest_ about her feelings…"_ With that, Cristina began to let out a dark laugh.

Rider, for whatever reason, felt a chill in the back of his spine that he hadn't felt since facing the Spiral King.

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Park):_**

Waver let out a sneeze before scratching his nose thinking, _"Maybe I should get some allergy medicine…"_ Putting that on his 'to do' list, Waver continued to lean back with a cigar in his mouth that lazily let out steam from the end.

It had been truly a crazy day for him. After all, the battle with Lancer had gotten much more intense than the one in the last war. He was even a bit nervous that Lancer's Noble Phantasm might _truly_ be able to go toe-to-toe with Gurren Lagann's full capabilities. However, with the intervention of Shinji, he would now never know unless Lancer returned for round two.

_"Shinji's getting more involved in the war."_ Waver thought to himself while taking a big inhale of his cigar and took the cancer stick out of his mouth. _"And I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing."_ With that, he slowly let out a breath of smoke out of his lungs and watched the smoke rise to the sky. True, he was pretty confident that Rider wouldn't be blindsided by Shinji since he knew _all _of his moves, but if Shinji were to tag-team with another Servant against them things might get a bit… complicated. _"Especially if he teams up with Lancer."_

Waver had to revaluate his plans for the war. For now, he had been sitting by and letting the Servants come to him and only encountered them _once_ during his nightly patrol with Rider over the city. They needed to be more thorough with their searches, if only to encounter one Servant and take it out quickly. He was putting Cristina, Ayako, and her family at risk the more he acted in the war like this.

_"Perhaps I should go for Caster first? I do know her location…"_ Waver thought to himself before a shadow loomed over him, making him blink before seeing a big-burly black-haired man with a little girl attached to his arm glaring at him. "Can I hel-" Waver didn't get to finish his sentence, as the man pointed to the left, making Waver turn to see a sign that read a simple message.

_'No Smoking In The Park Area'_

Sighing, Waver got up and walked to a garbage can before putting out the end with the top of the can and then chucking the cigar in the garbage.

The world was turning into an unfriendly place for smokers like him…

**_Elsewhere (Tohsaka Manor):_**

"Damn it…" Rin muttered to herself as she washed the cut with clear water over the bathroom sink. While she knew some healing spells, one had to always keep in mind that the wound _should_ be cleaned before healing it. Otherwise, she might still get sick from whatever bacteria came from the cut. _"I should have just made her give up right away. I shouldn't have waited for a reply or anything. If I did that, then Assassin would've been out of the war."_ Her eyes narrowed as she remembered the look on Luvia's face. One of triumph as she was backed into a corner with Shirou prepared to fire at her and Luvia ready to fling jewels with enough Mana to be a grenade each if she dared to move or strike.

She never knew she could have hated the Edelfelt heir as much as she did today.

"Glad they were able to find an explanation for Rider's fight." Archer's voice called out before he materialized behind her, making her shriek slightly in surprise. "I mean, it would be kind of hard to explain a giant robot figh-"

"W-what are you doing here Archer!? I'm using the bathroom! Get out!" Rin shouted before kicking Archer in the left leg, only for her to now clutch her foot in pain as she jumped up and down on her other foot. "GAH! Is your leg made of metal or something!?"

"Servant, remember? I can take a lot more damage than you." Archer reminded her playfully before rubbing his left leg when she turned around thinking, "_OWOWOW! Is this the whole 'women's wrath' thing Sven mentioned that one time?" _As the pain died down and Rin returned to standing on two feet, Archer said, "Say, what happened earlier…"

"It was a tactical mistake. It _won't_ happen again." Rin stated while looking at Archer with serious eyes.

"That's not what I was going to talk about. Look Rin, maybe we should hear out that Edelfelt girl." Archer stated, making Rin's eyes go wide. "I mean, those two looked pretty serious about the whole 'Grail corruption' thing. So maybe she has some evidence that will back up her…"

"No. I'm not going to give up the Tohsaka's chance for the Grail." Rin said before turning around, making Archer's eye twitch in annoyance.

"Rin, why are you being so stubborn about this?" Archer asked, only to receive silence from Rin. "There is always the possibility that she might be telling the truth! I'm not saying we should believe her right away, I'm just saying that we should go and at least listen to what she has to sa-."

"WE ARE NOT AND THAT'S FINAL SERVANT!" Rin shouted, silencing Archer who simply stared at her with shock written all over his face as she turned around with crossed arms. While she had been annoyed with him most of the time, she had _never_ used his status in the war against him. They stayed silent for a few minutes before Rin whispered out, "It's just that… that…" A tear then fell from her cheek and landed on the floor. "My father… he participated in the last war… he wanted to fulfill the Tohsaka family's greatest desire… He summoned the Archer of the last war…"

"Rin…" Archer whispered before Rin turned to him, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

"H-he… That _stupid_ Archer! H-he promised me that he would keep my father safe! That he would help him win the Grail! B-but…" Rin paused as she let in a deep breath of air. "They both died! My father died without even reaching the Grail, and Archer died trying to protect him! I-I can't just give up the Grail! If I did, what would they have died for? W-what would they…"

"Rin, you don't have to keep talking about it if you don't want to." Archer said softly as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "I understand how you feel."

"H-how?" Rin asked while trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. "How can you even come close to understanding how I am right now?"

"I lost someone close to me too." Archer said in an utterly no-nonsense tone, making Rin look at him with shock in her eyes. The two remained silent for a few more minutes before Archer broke it by saying, "Look, it is your decision whether or not we continue fighting. But you have to keep in mind that you shouldn't be so close-minded about the Grail. Nothing is what it seems. I know that from experience." With that, Archer began to walk out of the room before opening the door. He then looked over his shoulder and grinned before saying, "By the way Rin, your softer side is _really_ cu-!" He then dodged an incoming bar of soap, laughing as he left behind an utterly furious Rin.

"…Stupid Archer…" Rin muttered to herself before using water to wipe away the tear stains on her cheeks.

For some reason, talking about her troubles felt _good_.

**_Elsewhere (Emiya Residence):_**

Luvia sighed as she tapped her fingers on the table while Lancer looked at her blankly from the other side. Lancer had appeared next to her while she had been walking with the others to Shirou's home and informed her right away where she had gone.

To say that she was proud of her Servant's actions would be the same as saying that razors are excellent bookmarks.

She was not _angry_ with her Servant, but this now put a huge hindrance towards their plan to convince Waver Velvet of the Grail's corruption. She had been planning to search for him tonight and convince him to join them, but now he would most likely be wary of them for Lancer's actions.

"I'm sorry I displeased you Master." Lancer said softly while looking at her, making Luvia snap out of her thoughts. "I simply wished to…"

"You do not need to explain yourself Lancer." Luvia informed the Servant, who blinked at the response. She _really _should have expected Lancer not to be a one hundred percent 'Servant', after all, she was _still_, or had been, a human and thus still prone to making a mistake or two. "Just wait for my permission before you strike against another Servant."

"Understood Master." Lancer responded immediately, making Luvia nod. At least that was now out of the way. She then looked towards Sakura, who was making breakfast with Tsubaki beside her. Apparently they were making a traditional Japanese dish for dinner, and as much as Luvia knew she should return home to Sebastian she couldn't let her rival in love get another step ahead of her.

Speaking of the object of her affections…

"Where is Shirou?" Luvia asked before Sakura turned towards her and gave her a small smile.

"Sempai's in the shed. He said he wanted to practice with something." Sakura told her while still slicing up the onions at breakneck pace.

"I'm kind of worried about him." Tsubaki spoke up as she stirred the curry in the pot. "He's been in there for a couple of hours…"

"Ah, don't worry Tsubaki." Assassin spoke up as he walked into the room, bandages still covering his body while his wounds healed. "He'll be fine. Besides, that guy won't die so long as a star like me is around! Gahaha!"

Sakura and Tsubaki gave a mutual mental groan at Assassin's boasting while Luvia simply made her displeasure audible. Lancer simply gave Assassin a blank look before continuing to stare at Sakura and Tsubaki cooking.

She only hoped that not every dish had a form of meat in it.

"Damn it!" Shirou shouted in his shed as he threw to the floor another broken, colorless pair of the swords he had seen in his dream. Their form was similar to the ones Avenger used, making Shirou guess that Avenger was using _some_ kind of variant of Projection. For the past few hours Shirou had been trying to replicate them and hopefully turn them into affective weapons so that…

_"So that Sakura won't be put in danger again."_ Shirou thought to himself glumly as he looked down at the _numerous_ broken and colorless pairs of swords scattered around his feet. It had been a bluff really when he pointed the gun at Rin. He did not know what she would do when he and Luvia cornered her. For all he knew, Rin could have fired a _Gandr_ at him before he could pull the trigger and that would be the end of it. It was all thanks to luck that she bought it really. But if he learned something like _this_, he wouldn't have to rely on guns to fight Magi. He would have his own offensive and short-range tool against them.

Still, Shirou was pretty sure if Rin had not stopped with Sakura, he probably would have pulled the trigger.

"Shirou?" A voice called out, making Shirou turn around and see Saber looking at him. "What are you doing here?"

"…Practicing." Shirou stated, making Saber lean down to inspect the broken swords before looking back at him.

"These are similar to Avenger's blades." Saber said simply, making Shirou nod in agreement. She gripped the handle of one of the swords and noticed the roughness of it. The handle was like brittle, and she could feel it straining as she gripped it harder. The blade was weak and easy to break. But if Shirou were to perhaps fine-tune it more…

"I know, right? It's weird, I had a dream before that whole thing with Tohsaka. I…" Shirou began, only to stop himself. He still remembered the dream vividly, but he didn't want to tell Saber all of it. It would just make her worried about him. "…don't remember it that well, but in the end I saw these two swords. And they felt… _familiar_ somehow."

"So you are wishing to replicate them?" Saber asked as she looked over Shirou, noticing the sweat-drenched clothes that he was now covered in. Apparently, he had been working _very_ hard with this idea. "It is foolish of you to do this and waste your strength doing so."

"...Guess you're right." Shirou admitted while rubbing the back of his head. "But I just wanted to get this right."

"…You will discover it in time Shirou." Saber informed him while looking directly into his eyes. "Until then, let us return to your home. You must eat to gain your strength back."

Shirou blushed a bit before looking away. Her concern for him was very cute, despite how serious she presented herself to be. Shirou then took one more look at the broken and distorted swords with a scowl, thinking _"What am I doing wrong?"_ before following Saber out of the shed.

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Library):_**

"Shinji has become active again."

"So I've noticed, Maiya." Sola-Ui responded as she placed another book back in its proper place on the shelf. "It is hard not to notice his Noble Phantasm unless you are blind _and _deaf after all."

Maiya narrowed her eyes at the former Master and fiancé of Kayneth Archibald. The relationship between the two women was… _odd_. After all, Maiya had always been suspicious of Sola-Ui, even after the Fourth war had ended and Shinji had begun to join Taiga in eating Kiritsugu's food. While most wouldn't consider the two friends, they were also not enemies. Neither one had the desire or will to fight the other unless they were provoked. "I was wondering if you had any knowledge as to why."

"I cannot control Shinji's actions Maiya. His decisions as to what he should do for this war are all his own." Unconsciously, Sola-Ui touched the stump that was her former right arm. As expected, the war and Shinji's place in it were still sore subjects for her.

"And yet he assisted Rider in combating Lancer." Maiya informed Sola-Ui, only for the woman to push the book cart and move to another shelf. "Have you struck an alliance with Velvet?"

"Like I told Waver in the café, I myself have no desire for this war." Sola-Ui responded while skimming over the spines. "However, I will not stop Shinji if he chooses to do so."

"…" Maiya stayed silent for a minute before saying, "This War… something does not feel right. The reappearance of the Avenger class cannot simply be a coincidence."

"Do you think _it_ understood what Kiritsugu was doing?" Sola-Ui asked in a worried tone, only for Maiya to sigh.

"The Grail is supposed to be omnipotent, so it would not be out of the question. However, I am not sure if Avenger is simply more entertainment for it or if _it_ has something else planned." Maiya then looked down in thought. "Not only that…"

"What? What is it?" Sola-Ui asked, making Maiya look at her directly in the eyes.

"All my familiars patrolling the church have disappeared recently." Maiya said gravely to Sola-Ui, whose eyes widened.

**_Elsewhere (Shinji's Apartment):_**

"Shinji-kun! It's me! Open up!" Taiga shouted as she pounded on the door of her boyfriend's apartment. Honestly, it was like he was avoiding her nowadays! He spent less and less time talking with her like they used to, and now went off on his own or simply stayed in his apartment.

Well, she would no longer have any of that!

Taiga quickly rummaged through her pockets before producing a small key and inserting it into the lock. With a quick turn, the door opened and Taiga shouted, "I'm coming in!" With that, she closed the door behind her and took off her shoes as she entered the apartment.

The place was… _small_. It had a living/dining room and a small kitchen. The bathroom and laundry room were across the hall from the bedroom, which was big enough for two people when she stayed over sometimes. The living room itself contained nothing more than a small grey sofa and a TV on top of a cabinet across from it. On the cabinet next to the TV was a photo of her, Shinji, Reikan, and Otoko back during their high school days. She was playing with Shinji's hair while he smiled slightly and awkwardly at the camera. Reikan and Otoko meanwhile were grinning like mad while making peace signs at the camera.

Those were truly the days…

Of course, Shinji owned other things and kept them on the cabinet. Like a small white cross pendant that he seemed to buy out of nowhere one day and kept it close to him since. He also owned a Beethoven CD, and for whatever reason kept tearing up whenever he heard Beethoven 9. But that was something that was private to him, so she left that alone… for now.

With that in mind, Taiga began to slowly walk towards the door and opened it a crack to see Shinji lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, as the fan kept turning overhead. And his eyes, they were full of sadness.

They were like the eyes she saw when she first met him.

"…Shinji-kun?" Taiga whispered as she opened the door, making Shinji blink before turning towards her.

"Taiga-chan? What are you doing here?" Shinji asked, making her glare at him slightly.

"You've been avoiding me recently Shinji-kun. You think that I wouldn't worry?" Taiga asked, making Shinji wince a bit.

"I'm so- OW!" Shinji began, only to cry out as Taiga bumped him on the forehead.

"How many times have I told you not to say you're sorry all the time Shinji-kun?" Taiga asked playfully, only for her expression to soften a bit. "What's wrong?"

"I-I…" Shinji stuttered out before looking down and whispering, "I fucked up Taiga-chan. Because of me, someone I cared about got hurt."

He couldn't let her know all the details, but he could at least say the gist of what was bothering him to her.

"…Are they holding it against you Shinji-kun?" Taiga asked, only for Shinji to shake his head in response. "Then there is nothing to beat yourself over. You need to stop letting these things get to you."

"I-I know but…" Shinji muttered, only for Taiga to hug him.

"Sh…" Taiga shushed Shinji, making him quiet down. "Don't worry about anything. Just relax."

They stayed like that for a while, simply basking in each other's company.

**_Elsewhere (Einzbern Manor):_**

Illyasviel walked down the steps of the entrance while looking at the road leading to the city. While she was still a bit shaken up from the battle before, she had to continue with the war. She _had_ to gain some ground while the other Servants and Masters were still recovering, and bring the Grail closer to formation.

Luckily, she had her target in mind already.

"Are you sure about this Master?" Berserker asked as he stood beside her. "You're still a bit pale from…"

"I'm fine Berserker." Illyasviel interrupted the Servant, silencing him before continuing. "I _want_ this done tonight."

"…Alright Master, if that is what you want." Berserker replied before picking her up and jumping from tree to tree. His grip was strong, but he held Illyasviel softly so that she wouldn't feel any discomfort as he carried her.

He did not truly understand Illyasviel's desire to kill Emiya Shirou, and she never told him why. While he did not understand, he knew that no matter what he needed to protect her. He _had_ to win the Grail for both her and himself.

It was his one chance for salvation.

**_Elsewhere (Kotomine Church):_**

"Okay, what the Hell is up with all the emo-ness of this chap?" Wade asked as he turned off the computer. "I mean, what the Hell? Is TIM going through a depression or something?"

"No, this is…" Kirei muttered before his eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "Could this be the beginning of Cerebus Syndrome?"

"B-but that would mean…!" Wade shouted before tears leaked out of his eyes and he pumped his fist into the air. "YES! We're going to make our REAL appearance in a few chaps!"

"We must prepare!" Kirei shouted as he began running around the church. "I have to get my badass cloak! I have to plan what I'm going to say! I-!"

"Hold on right there man! We still got a few more chapters to go!" Wade shouted, making him stop. "Things are going to get to us, but until then we've got to wait!"

"I suppose you're right." Kirei grumbled while sitting back down on the couch. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

**_Elsewhere (Emiya Residence):_**

"Man, that was some good food!" Assassin yelled out, patting his stomach while laughing loudly. Tsubaki, who sat to his right, seemed to beam a bit at the compliment while Sakura gained a slight smile on her face.

What, a woman couldn't take pride that someone enjoyed her cooking?

"Indeed, it was most delicious Sakura." Saber confirmed with a nod of her head while Shirou began to pick up the dirty dishes. Lancer stayed silent, but gave a nod of approval as she drank her miso soup.

"It was… good." Luvia muttered while looking away, gritting out the last word to Sakura who seemed to beam even more towards the newfound appreciation for her cooking. (With Tsubaki's help of course.)

God damn it, now Luvia needed to get Sebastian to teach her how to cook! She _couldn't_ lose this to Matou as well!

"Yeah, you did a great job Sakura! I-" Shirou then stopped himself as childish laughter began to fill the air.

"Shirou, stay behind me." Saber warned as she got in front of her Master, the move copied by the other Servants in the room. After a minute of stillness, a small figure walked into the room.

_"Illyasviel!"_

"It took a bit to find you Onii-chan." Illyasviel muttered as she looked directly at Shirou with a small, child-like smile. "And this time, I'm not going to let you get away so easily."

Berserker then materialized behind her, and all Illyasviel said was one simple and terrifying command.

"Berserker, _slaughter them_."

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview! **

"Oh man! Things are really starting to get good!" Taiga cheered out while pumping her fist into the air. "Berserker is going to get his moment in the spotlight, and I finally received some screen time!"

"That _really_ shouldn't be the only thing you care about sensei…" Illyasviel muttered out, only to get bopped on the head by Taiga's fist. "OW!"

"Nonsense! Screen time is _serious business_ my student!" Taiga shouted back at her while Illyasviel nursed her bump. "Now, say the title for the next chapter!"

"S-stay tuned for the next chapter 'When The Azure Flowers Bloom'!" Illyasviel shouted out while sniffling a bit.

"CHECK IT OUT!" Taiga yelled out while jumping up and down. "There will be more of me in the next chapter!"

**Omake- ****Different Servants: Avenger**

Bazette blinked as she looked at the being in the center of the summoning array, who was most definitely _not_ the Hound of Ulster!

The man in front of her was tall had messed up black hair and cold, brown eyes. She had only seen eyes like that in the most decorated Magi in the Association and the Burial Agency. He wore a black leather coat, black combat pants, and a black shirt. The only thing _not_ black on his attire was the white skull on his shirt that looked slightly faded and seemed to glare at her.

"I am the Servant Avenger." The man finally spoke up, snapping Bazette out of her thoughts. "Are you the one who summoned me?"

"Y-yes, I am…" Bazette squeaked out before Avenger turned around…

…And headed straight for the door.

"H-hey!" Baxette cried out as she ran towards the Servant. "W-where do you…?" Her protest died in her throat as 'Avenger' glanced at her with his cold dead eyes.

"Where is the local police station?"

Fuyuki's police would later find themselves short of a few guns in their inventory…

**_Later:_**

Raiga Fujimura was currently _very _nervous. Over the last couple of hours, several of his men had died. The police discovered them at their posts after getting a call about gunshots with their heads blown off or their bodies riddled with bullets. He had enjoyed the quiet life in Fuyuki City without ever having to worry about a rival gang, which is also why he only kept one man watching his granddaughter rather than several.

So who could be this new player?

"Boss, maybe we should…" One of his men began to speak up before the door to the room exploded inward, making his men scatter. As the dust blocked their view, the sound of pistol went off and Raiga watched as one by one, his men died and fell to the floor. As the dust cleared, their attacker stepped forward and placed the barrel of the gun at Raiga's head.

"W-who are you?" Raiga asked as he looked at the white, glaring skull on the assailant's shirt.

"Punishment." Was Avenger's simple reply before pulling the trigger.

And with this Avenger, once known through life as Frank Castle and the vigilante The Punisher, and Bazette entered the Holy Grail War.

**Note-**** Yo! TIM here with the latest chap of Fate:Stay Away! I know I've been gone for a while, but things have been busy. On the plus side, I have gotten accepted into the college I wanted, so that is a plus for me! I worked all night on this chapter and I have to thank Sir Godot once again for betaing this thing. **

**Anyway, I might as well also give you guys Archer's stats since I want to be nice today…**

Class: Archer

Master: Rin Tohsaka

True Name: Train Heartnet

Sex: Male

Height/Weight: 175cm/65kg

Theme Song: Daia no Hana by Yoriko

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Strength: C

Endurance: A

Agility: A+

Mana: B+

Luck: A+

Noble Phantasm: D

_Class Skills-_

Independent Action- The ability to remain independent even when rejecting the prana supply from the Master. At the higher ranks it is also possible to remain for extended periods of time in this world without an established contract.

B: Capable of remaining in this world for two days without an established contract. Also capable of living on for a short period of time after suffering extensive damage on his spiritual core.

Magic Resistance- Grants protection against magical effects. Differently from the Resistance effect that merely rejects prana, this ability cancels the spells altogether. Important to note that the term "verse" seen below refers to a set of three lines. Thus, a chant of two verses is equivalent to a Six-Line incantation.

D: Cancel Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy.

Presence Concealment- The capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant. It is a common skill to the Assassin class.

B+: At this level the Servant can be summoned in the Assassin class.

_Personal Skills-_

Bravery- The ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination. Not usable under the effects of Mad Enhancement.

B: Bonus effect of increasing melee damage slightly.

Clairvoyance- Superior visual perception. Supplement long-range aiming and increases dynamic vision. Furthermore, at higher ranks it is possible to acquire precognition ("see into the future") and other forms of perception that are beyond normal eyesight (X-ray vision and the sorts).

C: Capable of keeping track of fast-moving object within a range of 4kms.

Eternal Arms Mastership- Prevents degradation of fighting skills when under the effect of mental hindrance.

A+: Mastership of combat arts has reached the point of being said to be unrivaled in one's era. By complete merging of mind, body and technique, it is possible to make use of full fighting skills even when under the influence of any sort of mental hindrance.

Eye of the Mind (False)- An innate talent to sense and avoid danger based on intuition, that can also be called the Sixth Sense or prescience, gained through many ordeals and adventures. As a natural talent to avoid danger, it greatly differs from Eye of the Mind (True), which is danger avoidance that originates from "predictions augmented by experience".

B: Archer's innate talents of this were heavily augmented through his training and many missions he completed during his lifetime.

_Noble Phantasm-_

Hades Gun: "The Black Omen"-  B: A customized revolver made of almost unbreakable material. Archer can use this gun to block any kind of bladed weapon and even bullets. This gun is the catalyst for Railgun and Burst Railgun.

Railgun: "The Fastest Shot"- B: A powerful, high velocity projectile that can cause extensive damage to its target. Archer can only fire three Railguns a day, but it will cause his Master Mana exhaustion.

Burst Railgun- A: Archer's most powerful attack and much more powerful than the Railgun. Should this attack hit its target, it will cause extensive damage and completely deplete it of energy. Leaving it helpless for Archer to finish it off.

**…Well there you go. I definetly hope that this chapter was worth the wait for you guys, because I worked my _ass_ off to deliver it!**

**Anyway, I would like to remind everyone to check out my profile and my challenge takers. Some of the stories are definitely worth reading. And PM me if you are interested in a challenge. **

**Also check out Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and add on whatever you think should go there. **

**And review! Reviews help my muse, and perhaps if I get more reviews the faster the next chapter will get out! So get reviewing! **

**…Please? **


	12. When The Azure Flowers Bloom

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Berserker glared at the gathered three Servants and muttered an apologetic, "I'm sorry, but I must kill you." Before launching himself straight at Assassin with his right fist raised.

Assassin clicked his tongue before shouting, "_Tsubaki: Smoke Bomb Mode_!" There was no time for an answer, Berserker was coming in far too fast and would strike too quick if there was any banter between the two. The room was instantly enveloped by the thick, grey smoke and blinded all those within it.

Well, all those who weren't Assassin.

Assassin quickly rolled to the right as Berserker punched the space where he used to be. Not even waiting for his command, Tsubaki transformed to her Kusarigami form, Assassin throwing one of the blades at Berserker's head. The white-clad Servant merely tilted his head to the side, avoiding the scythe.

But hitting Berserker hadn't been Assassin's intention. It would have been nice, but Assassin was enough of a badass to not need to for this plan.

Just as little over half the chain had passed Berserker, Assassin cried out to his partner. "Now Tsubaki!"

With a pull and manipulations only a sentient weapon could pull off, Tsubaki wrapped herself around the mad Servant, locking him place.

It wouldn't hold him long, but then again it wasn't needed.

"A.T. Field" intoned the soft but firm voice of Lancer, the light of her soul slamming into Berserker and launching the Servant out of the house.

"GHHAAA!" Assassin shouted in shock as he was also pulled out of the house with the Servant, not that either Saber or Lancer cared when they followed him outside. After all, he could handle himself for two seconds.

Shirou looked at his half-sister as she smirked before stepping outside to continue to watch the battle. He had not expected her to come so soon, something that he now kicked himself for. Of _course_ she would come! Hell, she had even stated her desire to kill him at the temple! What was he _thinking_ when he thought that she would not look for him?_ "Doesn't matter now."_ Shirou thought to himself as he went outside as well to watch the battle. _"The problem is how I can convince her to stop fighting."_

Even if she wanted to kill him, Shirou was hoping that he could convince Illyasviel out of this mad quest for revenge.

Luvia hated the entire situation. Berserker's Master was both able to get the drop on them and had made her Servant target Saber, Assassin, and Lancer. And if Luvia were to attack her, Berserker would refocus on them and kill them in an instant. _"Tch! I can only hope that they damage Berserker enough that he is completely helpless."_ Luvia thought to herself as she followed Shirou. _'That way, I can take Einzbern out without any interference and take Berserker out of the game…"_

_"Please Sempai, don't do anything rash…"_ Sakura thought to herself as she stepped outside with Shirou and Luvia before watching the battle between the three Servants and Berserker. Blows were thrown, parried, and dodged by Berserker with gracefulness that made it look like the mad Servant was _dancing_! The Servant was powerful in his own right, but the Servants were not as helpless as they were in the last battle. They knew what to expect from Berserker. _"Then why can't I shake off this feeling that something terrible is going to happen?"_

_"Yes! Crush them Berserker! Kill them all! And this time make sure Lancer _stays_ dead!"_ Illyasviel thought to herself with glee as she watched the battle. Lancer still being alive was a big shock to her, but then again Lancer could heal from obviously fatal wounds. So maybe regeneration was one of Lancer's Noble Phantasms as well? _"Doesn't matter. Berserker can still beat them all! He'll kill them and I'll finally make Onii-chan PAY!"_

Saber swung her sword at Berserker multiple times, only for the Servant to block them with his very hands or legs with ease. She had only felt a fraction of Berserker's strength last time they fought, but now she had to feel that very same strength in rapid succession! She could barely keep up with his own counter-strikes! _"Just what kind of hero was Berserker to gain this immense strength and speed? All of it cannot simply just be from his Mad Enhancement!" _Berserker then slammed his right hand onto the ground, lifting himself into the air with the force of the blow. While in the air, Berserker performed a double spin-kick, the first kick knocking Saber's invisible sword to the side with the second hitting Saber square in the jaw.

If she had been a regular human, or even a lesser Servant, her head would have torn off and Saber would have died then and there.

However, Saber was never what anybody would consider 'regular'.

The blow launched Saber several feet away and made her roll onto the ground. As she fell down, Assassin got in front of her and shouted, "My turn now! _Speed*Star!_" With that, Assassin became a blur, randomly appearing in different areas around Berserker for only a brief second. "Can't see me can you?" Berserker punched to the Assassin that appeared to his right, only for him to disappear. "Well, you better keep your eyes on this star! Blink once and I'll fly right past you!" With that statement, Assassin appeared overhead Berserker and kicked him in the head before disappearing, just as Berserker attempted to grab him. "I'm just a guy who's way ahead of his time! Yahoo!" Assassin then appeared behind Berserker, _Tsubaki_ now in her Ninja Sword mode before stabbing Berserker in the back and disappearing as soon as he came.

"_Lance of Longinus_." Lancer muttered from her position, several feet from the actual fighting, before throwing the red spear. It became a crimson bullet as it sped towards Berserker, impaling the Servant in moments, halfway through his body before Berserker reacted. Before the Noble Phantasm could fully exit, Berserker grabbed the spear in order to stop it's movements. Then with a shout of pain that echoed through the air, he twisted his body. Berserker had used the spear's tip to cut a thick line across Assassin's head, just above the eyes.

"Damn it!" Assassin yelled before Berserker faced him and kicked Assassin square in the ribs, launching him right next to Saber. Then, in a sickening 'squelch' he removed the spear before throwing it back at Lancer, who this time moved to the side before catching it by the handle. _"It's going to take my Uncanny Sword to beat this guy!"_

_"Nothing short of Excalibur will stop him."_ Saber thought to herself as she gripped her sword. _"But, the area is too populated! If I were to release it right now Shirou, Sakura, Luvia, Assassin, and Lancer will be caught as well!"_

_"Zeruel will be enough to permanently destroy Berserker." _Lancer thought to herself with narrowed eyes as she gripped her spear. _"It is logical that if our normal skills do not work on Berserker, then we must unleash our ultimate Noble Phantasms to kill him."_

Unfortunately, the plans for releasing their respective ultimate Noble Phantasms were put on hold as a red bullet tore through Berserker's heart area. "BERSERKER!" Illyasviel shouted in shock and horror as the 'arrow' passed through Berserker's heart, blood spewing everywhere as the Servant landed on the ground crouched, before turning and seeing his new opponent.

On a rooftop next to the Emiya residence was none other than Avenger, staring coldly at the gathered Servants while holding a black bow in his left hand.

"A-Avenger?" Saber asked in astonishment as she righted herself and watched the mysterious eighth Servant seemingly focus on only Berserker. Avenger had not acted at all since the assault on the temple, making Saber slightly curious as to what he had been doing all this time.

"What is that bastard doing here?" Assassin growled out as he wiped away the blood from his eyes, grimacing in pain, he clutched his side. Berserker's strike had broken a few of his ribs, and that was only from one of the _softer_ blows!

_"Black*Star, be careful. I don't think that Berserker is Avenger's only target." _Tsubaki whispered into Assassin's mind, who only tightened his grip on her in response. Even Lancer looked at Avenger wearily. While she had avoided direct combat with Berserker, and thus relatively unharmed, Lancer still hadn't fully recovered from her battle with Rider.

_"Berserker should react in three… two…"_ Avenger thought to himself while summoning another sword in his hand and putting it into the bow like an arrow. This sword was _Hrunting_. The legendary sword that was used by Beowulf to kill Grendel's mother, who was even more of a monster than her own son. The sword would never stop or break until it drew the blood of its opponent, making it the perfect tool to use against opponents at long-range. He could fire the sword over five times in a row, and he used it already once to grab Berserker's attention.

All according to plan.

_Hrunting_'s only weakness was its charging interval. He had to wait twenty seconds before launching the second shot, and Berserker was closing in on him. Luckily, he had a plan to keep Berserker moderately busy and buy himself enough time to launch the second shot that was necessary for his plan.

Numerous swords materialized behind him in blue flashes of light before launching themselves at Berserker. Berserker twisted his body out of the way of several, only for four swords to impale his body. Two swords went into his abdomen while the two others impaled themselves into his elbows, making Berserker tumble to the ground. As soon as his body impacted onto the ground, Berserker forced his right hand to move and remove the sword in his left elbow before the left one did the same. He ignored the blood pouring out of him as he ripped out the two swords in his abdomen before jumping towards Avenger once more, who jumped off a rooftop to put some distance between them. It was not enough, for Berserker was only a few feet away from him now. So Avenger made a sword materialize under him and used it as a springboard to jump higher than before. Berserker, noticing this, seemed to let out a silent scream of frustration before blue flames released themselves from the two guns that were at his sides, thrusting him closer and closer to Avenger once more.

The actions of the two Servants happened in the span of nineteen seconds.

_"…One."_ Counting down the final moment necessary to charge _Hrunting_, Avenger let loose his 'arrow', which transformed itself into a red bullet as it left the bow.

He could not make _Hrunting_ change directions, another draw back to the copied Noble Phantasm. However, he _could_ calculate probabilities and adjust them accordingly. So, when Berserker moved to the side to avoid the 'bullet', _Hrunting_ moved only _slightly_ to the side.

But that subtle shift was all he needed.

_Hrunting_ entered through Berserker's right kneecap, making blood and bone spew everywhere before it exited and entered Berserker's _left_ kneecap. The loss of them was enough shock to even the deranged mind of Berserker that the thrusters stopped working, and made him tumble back into the earth.

He crashed back in the front of the Emiya residence; a crater forming where he landed while Avenger stood only a few feet from said crater. The other Servants were staring at him in shock with how easily he had been kicking around Berserker. An opponent that they had been almost helpless against. And Illyasviel was now looking like she was having a mini panic-attack and was a bit away from Shirou, Sakura, and Luvia.

Perfect.

Avenger closed his eyes before muttering, _"I am the bone of my sword…"_

"What are you doing, Avenger?" Saber shouted at the Servant, who only seemed to ignore her. She did not know why, but she could _feel_ power coming from the words Avenger was speaking!

_"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood…"_

_"Is Avenger casting a spell?"_ Luvia asked herself in her mind, beginning to inch her hand closer to her dress's pockets. She had some jewels that could counteract any spells that might be thrown, that is if they get past the Servants. _"The only question is, what type of spell?"_

_"I have created countless blades…"_

"GH!" Shirou shouted in pain as he clutched his head. For some reason, those words _hurt_ his brain! It was like his brain was being stabbed by millions of red-hot needles! He opened his eyes…

_…and saw himself in a darkened cave. A girl dressed in red and black hugging him as he breathed in her white hair through his nose. Shirou looked down and saw a sword going through her mid-section, with his hands on the handle. As he watched the blood drip off the sword and something wet impact onto his back before he heard the girl whisper out, "S-"_

_"Aware of loss, baptized in pain…"_

"Sempai!" Sakura shouted as she caught Shirou, who fell backwards into her arms while clutching his head. This was not good. It was looking as if Shirou was actually being hurt from whatever was happening in his mind! What was going on? What kind of spell was this?

_"I have withstood betrayal to create weapons…"_

_"Black*Star! Whatever he is doing is happening now!"_ Tsubaki yelled in Assassin's mind, who only nodded and prepared himself for whatever was going to happen next.

Lancer fidgeted a bit as she stood on guard. The phrases that Avenger was muttering held some clues to whatever he had in store from them. The words blades, swords, and weapons kept popping up. So it had something to do with his ability to summon swords. But it must be infinitely more powerful that what he had already displayed so far.

_"Burdened by regret, I shall never falter.."_

Illyasviel's eyes widened as realization hit her like a freight train. She knew this! She had read it while studying under her family's magic! "T-this is…!"

_"Forever my life shall be… UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS_!" With the final line uttered, a circle of red fire went around Avenger, Berserker, Saber, Lancer, Assassin, and even Illyasviel before they all disappeared from view. Shirou, Luvia, and Sakura stared in shock at the now empty space before the cracking of knuckles made them look towards the entrance to see Bazette stepping forward with a dead-serious expression on her face.

"Thank you, Avenger." Bazette muttered as she straightened her gloves. "Now, it's my turn."

**_Somewhere Else {Play Fate/Stay Night Anime OST: Emiya}:_**

Saber opened her eyes to no longer find herself outside Shirou's home. Now, she was standing in what seemed to be an endless wasteland of sand with swords, lances, axes, and other weapons stabbed into the ground. The sky seemed to be in an endless twilight, with gears filling the air and mechanically turning. The gears themselves seemed to be rusted, and the ends were sharp and looked like if one were to touch them, they would he hurt instantly. A thin mist also covered the ground, making the area seem to be even more ominous.

"What the? Where the Hell are we!?" Assassin yelled out as he his eyes darted across their new environment.

"This is possibly a Bounded Field made by Avenger." Lancer suggested as she looked at Saber. "But it is far too detailed."

"A Reality Marble…" Illyasviel muttered to herself with wide eyes as she stared at Avenger, who stood calmly several feet away from the other Servants. "The forbidden magic that violates reality, and allows whoever wields it to bring anything to their own personal world…" She then looked to see Berserker, now struggling to get up. This was her only chance. She _had_ to kill Avenger before he struck Berserker first! "Berserker! Kill him!" Hearing her command, and ignoring the blood squirting out of his knees, Berserker looked at Avenger and prepared to launch himself.

Time seemed to slow down for Avenger as he looked at Berserker. _"Berserker will be in front of me in three seconds, and when he does it will take him less than that to kill me. But three seconds is all I need…" _His Reality Marble contained all the Noble Phantasms he had seen and copied in his life.

He only needed one to take the wounded Berserker out of the game for a while.

Avenger lifted his left arm into the air and imagined the Noble Phantasm he wished to wield. There was no need to say 'Trace On', for it just appeared. It was a massive, stone blade with a sharpened black edge. Its handle was circular and huge, and the grip was covered in white bandages. It was the legendary hero Hercules' Noble Phantasm, _Nine Lives_.

If he were a regular human, he couldn't even hope to lift it. Hell, it would be hard for any Servant other than Hercules himself to so much as swing it.

But he could make his body reproduce Hercules' strength.

During this, one second passed, and Berserker began to launch himself towards him. During this time, Avenger mapped out his targets: left upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, diaphragm, ribs, testicles, and thighs.

Another second had passed, and now Berserker crossed half the distance between them. His hand was clenched into a fist and was ready to punch him into a bloody paste.

"Set. _Nine Lives Blade Works._" Avenger muttered before rushing forward. He did not even wait for Berserker to be in swinging distance, and instead swung with almost supersonic speeds. Blood spewed everywhere as Avenger struck his targets, utterly _annihilating_ eighty percent of Berserker's body. Despite loosing so much of his own body and his head barely hanging onto his body, Berserker swung his right fist at Avenger…

…Only for him to be faster. He swung the massive sword for a ninth and final time, separating the arm from the body. Making the now limbless and utterly destroyed body of Berserker land on the ground in a bloody heap in front of Avenger.

"BERSERKER!" Illyasviel screeched in shock and horror as Avenger stepped over the body and began to walk towards Saber, Lancer, and Assassin.

"This world is all I have." Avenger stated as he kept stepping towards the three Servants while smirking. "I can reproduce and store any weapon that I see the original of."

"So, that is your power. You copy Noble Phantasms and use them to suit your own needs." Saber stated as Avenger stopped a few feet in front of them.

"There ain't no way you can copy Tsubaki you bastard!" Assassin stated, only for Avenger to shake his head.

"Sadly, I cannot copy the _exact_ properties of your Noble Phantasm. A copy is simply that: a copy of the original. But I'm pretty sure I can get close." Avenger then closed his eyes before reaching out with his right hand. In an instant, an almost exact copy of Tsubaki's Ninja Sword mode appeared in his hand in a reverse grip. "But, I have to say that swords are the easiest thing for me to copy."

"GAH!" Saber shouted as she rushed forward and swung her sword at Avenger, who parried it with ease. He then jumped out of the way as Assassin launched the scythe held in his right hand, grabbing one of the swords stabbed into the ground for the scythe to wrap around on. As Assassin pulled, Avenger let go of the sword, turning it into a projectile for Assassin, who was barely able to jump out of the way. Swords then floated out of the ground, glowing blue before they launched themselves at Lancer, who simply raised her hand.

"_A.T Field_." She intoned before the hexagonal shield appeared in front of her, making the swords bounce off of it in bursts of light. Lancer sweated a bit as even _more_ swords began to bombard the shield before she jumped to the side and dispelled it, making the swords stab the ground she was previously on.

"What kind of hero are you Avenger?" Saber growled out as she glared at Avenger, who only seemed to give her a tired look.

"…Just one without pride Saber." Avenger answered before Konshou and Bakuya appeared in his hands.

The fight had only just begun…

**_Back With The Masters:_**

"Shirou, get back!" Luvia shouted as she moved in front of both Sakura and Shirou. She then smirked as she gazed upon Bazette before saying, "I shall handle her."

"But Luvia…!" Shirou protested before Luvia shot him a confident smirk that made him stop speaking.

"I was not called 'The Forklift Lady' back in England for nothing Shirou." Luvia spoke before turning herself back at Bazette.

_"She was called 'Forklift Lady'?"_ Shirou asked himself before Luvia snapped off the buckles connecting her sleeves to her dress and removed them, throwing the now useless articles of clothing to the ground next to her.

"Yes, I've heard of you." Bazette confirmed as she readied herself from battle. "You're supposed to be good at a Lancashire-style of military combat."

"Hm? It seems my fame has spread throughout the ranks of Magi then." With that said, Luvia motioned for Bazette to come after her.

A request Bazette happily complied with.

Bazette ran towards the young Magus while Luvia threw the first punch, one Bazette easily dodged before throwing her own reinforced one. Luvia blocked the blow easily with her left arm while using her right arm to grab Bazette by the waist and throw her to the ground. Sitting on the abdomen of the temporarily downed Magus, Luvia pointed her left index finger at Bazette with a _Gandr _at the tip. Instantly identifying it as a spell, Bazette quickly regained her senses and pushed Luvia off of her. She then kicked the girl in the abdomen, putting some distance between them as Bazette got on her feet.

"_Gandr_!" Luvia shouted as she pointed both of her index fingers at Bazette and shot three shots, one impacting Bazette's right leg while she dodged the other two. Thanks to Bazette's Reinforced clothing, the shot did less damage than it was supposed to. Bazette then jumped lightly into the air as soon as she was a few feet in front of Luvia, drop-kicking the younger magus down to the ground.

_"Time to end this."_ Bazette thought to herself before the runes on her shoes activated, making them glow a light blue. She then shot toward Luvia at amazing speeds, the Edelfelt heiress only just now stumbling back up to her feet. In moments Bazette was in striking range, a right mule kick deep in Luvia's gut. The girl skid on the ground a few feet, blood and spittle flying from Luvia's mouth. The Enforcer began to retract her leg to renew her assault…

Only for Luvia to grab her leg, a savage grin on the girl's face even as a little blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. With a yell of exertion, Luvia turned to spin Bazette by her captured leg, throwing the woman into the air with almost inhumane (Or magical in this case) strength after a few spins. She then jumped after the airborne body, grabbing it tightly with both arms and slamming Bazette back into the ground headfirst.

The Edelfelt jumped back to Shirou and the others, the spectators of the battle gaping at both Luvia and the now face down body of Bazette.

"_Now_ do you see why I'm known as the Forklift Lady?" Luvia asked Bazette's downed form with a smirk, which faded as soon as Bazette began to shakily get onto her feet. "W-what? H-how…?"

"I've been in more battles than you could imagine." Bazette replied as she rolled her neck, slightly grimacing in pain before looking back as Luvia and ignoring the blood coming from the back of her head. She would heal that later, right now she had to deal with the Masters while Avenger kept the Servants busy. "I…" Suddenly, a cylinder-like object rolled in front of them, followed by the shout of 'Cover your eyes!'. Then, the canister bust into a bright flash of light that blinded Bazette and made her ears ring.

"Luvia! Come on, this way!" Shirou shouted at Luvia, who thankfully followed his advice earlier, and pointed at the Emiya residence. Luvia did not argue, and instantly ran towards Shirou and Sakura.

Shirou then pointed at Sakura and shouted, "Get Sakura out of here and go to your house!"

"But…!" Luvia protested, only for Shirou to glare at her.

"Just do it! I'll be fine!" Shirou shouted, shocking both Luvia and Sakura for a minute before Luvia nodded and grabbed Sakura's hand.

"Let's go Matou." Luvia spoke before dragging Sakura with her to the back entrance of the home. Sakura stared back at Shirou with a worried expression on her face until they both disappeared from view. As soon as that happened, Shirou ran deeper into his house, going into his room and opening the dresser drawer that contained an H&K Fabarm FP6.

He had to come up with a plan for Avenger's Master, and he had to do it _fast_!

Bazette meanwhile blinked the last bits of light out of her eyes before clicking her tongue. It seemed that Saber's Master used modern day weapons like Emiya Kiritsugu. She was confident that her reinforced clothes would block most firearms, but the tactic Saber's Master was using now was unknown to her. She then looked towards the house thinking, _"They must have gone in, thinking they would have more cover."_ With that, Bazette walked into the house and down a hallway, eying all the doors with suspicion. The quiet inside the building was just too unnatural and was making her nervous. Suddenly, a metallic 'ping' went through the air before a hand shot out and threw a circular ball at her. It took a couple of seconds for Bazette to identify the object as a grenade before she jumped into a room. A second later, the grenade went off, creating an explosion that rocked the ground and sent wood shards everywhere. Bazette got onto her feet, only to find Shirou a few feet in front of her with his shotgun in hand before firing. Bazette covered her face with her arms in an x-formation as the bullet shrapnel hit her body. Before Shirou could pump the shotgun again, Bazette kicked it from his hands before using her right foot to kick him away and to the ground.

It was at this moment that Shirou took out his Thompson Contender, aimed it at Bazette, thought _"Please let this work…"_ and pulled the trigger.

Naturally, Bazette powered her Runes that reinforced her clothes to block the bullet.

What she didn't know was that the Origin Shot _needed_ her to do that in order for it to work.

As soon as the bullet entered through Bazette's right arm, she knew something was _wrong_! Her circuits felt like they were on _fire_! And she even felt her veins bulge, making her gasp in pain and sweat. _"W-what is going on? M-My clothes should have blocked that! What was that, and what did it do to my body!?" _She then looked to see Shirou running away, making Bazette clench her arm in pain before following close behind. _"I cannot let him shoot that at me again!" _As they entered the house's dojo, Shirou looked at his clenched Thompson Contender before Bazette said, "D-don't even think about it kid! If you so much as move, I'll come over there and turn your ribs into paste before you can even _blink_!"

"Why did you attack us?" Shirou asked, making Bazette blink despite her pain.

"We are in a _war_. What made you think I wouldn't come?" Bazette shot back, making Shirou grimace a bit. Really, he should have expected this sooner…

"You don't need to fight me. The Grail is corrupted by the Avenger of the Third War." Shirou stated, making Bazette's eyes widen. "Whatever wish you have, even if you were to win in the end, would be perverted so much that you would hate yourself for even making it."

"…Nice try psyching me out. But unless you have some proof, I am not falling for it!" Bazette shouted, before she felt a new presence behind her.

"So be it."

Bazette barely had enough time to activate her Runes before a storm of bullets impacted her body. Maiya kept aiming her Calico at Bazette while staring at her coldly before shouting, "Shirou! Reload it!"

"N-no!" Bazette shouted as she tried to turn around in order to intercept Shirou, only to scream in pain as a bullet grazed passed her right eyeball and made both blood and puss squirt everywhere. "GAH!" She shouted as she clutched her eye in pain.

_"One more shot!" _Shirou thought as he reloaded the Thompson Contender with one more bullet and aimed it at Bazette, who still had on her Runes, before firing it. The Origin Bullet nailed Bazette in the gut, making her freeze before blood came out of the wound.

"GHHAAA!" Bazette screamed out before she coughed out blood. _"M-My blood! My CIRCUTS! They're burning! BOILING! Oh God, someone help me! Cu Chulainn! AVENGER, SAVE ME!" _She stumbled a bit before falling face-first onto the ground, barely breathing as a puddle of blood began forming around her. However, one of the Command Seals on her left hand began to glow, signifying that one was being used to fulfill her request.

**_Unlimited Blade Works:_**

Avenger blinked as his eyes turned red before muttering, "Damn, what the Hell happened for you to use one like that?" He then dispelled the Reality Marble, transporting all the occupants back into the front entrance of the house.

"Avenger! What…?" Saber began, only for Avenger to jump past her and go into the house. She recognized the look in the Servant's eyes. It was one signifying that his Master was using a Command Spell. But why? Avenger was standing up to the combined might of her, Assassin, and Lancer with only a little bit of trouble! She wouldn't even be surprised if the Servant actually defeated one of them after a few more minutes into the battle, so why was his Master asking for his assistance?

"Come back here you bastard!" Assassin shouted as he ran after Avenger. "We aren't done yet!"

Saber looked to Lancer, a silent agreement went between the both of them before they followed Assassin into the house, leaving Berserker and Illyasviel alone. Illyasviel went to Berserker, kneeled beside his utterly destroyed body, before muttering, "Please Berserker, don't keep struggling. Just heal…" This was almost unbearable to see Berserker, who she thought to be practically unbeatable and threw around the other Servants like ragdolls, was reduced to nothing more than a head barely hanging onto what was almost not a body in a matter of seconds by Avenger. All because of her quest against her Onii-chan and her orders. Tears then began to form in the corners of her eyes before she shouted, "HEAL BERSERKER!" A Command Seal then glowed on her left hand before Berserker's eyes widened, his mouthpiece pulled back, and he let out the most pain-filled and heart-wrenching cry Illyasviel had ever heard.

"GGHHHHAAAAAAAAA!"

Shirou blinked as Avenger appeared right beside Bazette, looked at him and looked at the body, and then picked her up carefully with his arms.

"…Never knew you would have it in you at this age." Avenger muttered as he looked at Bazette. "You're already willing to try to kill your enemies…"

"You speak like you know him." Maiya stated with narrowed eyes before Avenger let out a hollow chuckle.

"More than you would ever know…" Avenger then left with breakneck speeds through the door opposite to the one he entered in, just as the other Servants came into the room.

"Where is Avenger Sh-?" Saber began before noticing the puddle of blood in front of Shirou and Maiya. "Was that…?"

"Yes, it was Avenger's Master." Maiya confirmed as she looked at Saber's eyes. "However, Avenger retrieved her before we could finish her…"

"Then she will soon be active?" Lancer asked, only for Maiya to shake her head.

"No, the Origin Bullet utterly annihilates a Magus' circuits. She should hardly even be considered Avenger's Master at this point." Maiya responded, making Assassin click his tongue in annoyance.

"Damn it! Why couldn't Avenger stick around to fight some more? Any longer and I would have proved to him why I'm the biggest star around!" Assassin boasted once more, only to receive groans of annoyance.

"Wait…" Shirou muttered before his eyes widened. "ILLYA!" He then ran out of the dojo, much to the shock of everyone present.

"Shirou! Stop!" Saber shouted before she ran after her Master. In a matter of seconds they were at the front entrance, where Illyasviel and a fully healed Berserker were waiting for them.

"So, you returned Onii-chan?" Illyasviel muttered as she glared at Shirou. "Are you here to gloat? If you are, I'll have Berserker here rip out your throat. And this time there is no Avenger here to stop Berserker from killing you all."

"Illyasviel, you don't need to do this!" Shirou shouted as he got in front of Saber, much to her shock. "Dad had a reason for not seeing you!"

"…What?" Illyasviel asked darkly while glaring at Shirou. Shirou gulped at this, he knew he was treading on dangerous ground but it might be the only way to convince Illyasviel to not attack them and to abandon her hatred.

Hopefully, he wouldn't get killed for it.

"K-kiritsugu… He couldn't see you because your family wouldn't let him!" Shirou continued, making Illyasviel's eyes widen. "They wouldn't let him get near you after he destroyed the Grail to protect the world from Angra Mainyu! They didn't even care that dad saved the world from the Source of all Evils! They were angry at him for destroying the Grail, and kept stopping his attempts to see you!"

"L-liar! You are lying!" Illyasviel denied as she pointed at Shirou. "Y-your just trying to trick me! You're the reason why he couldn't come home! He abandoned me _because of you_!"

"That is not true." Maiya spoke as she stood beside Shirou and looked at Illyasviel with dead serious eyes. "Kiritsugu loved both you and the Madam with all his heart. Every day without you was breaking him, and it is because of the Madam's family that he could not see you."

"N-no… your lying…" Illyasviel muttered to herself as she took a step back in shock. Her grandfather always told her each and every day that Kiritsugu abandoned her for the boy in front of her. That he destroyed the Grail for no true reason other than to spurn the Einzberns for fun. That his assistant seduced Kiritsugu from her mother and convinced him that Shirou was better than her. They had to be lying! They were liars who wanted to catch her off-guard! "BERSERKER! GET THEM!" Illyasviel shouted, raw emotion inside her command. Enough that one Command Seal disappeared from her hand. Berserker's mouth piece slid back onto his face and his eyes glowed blue once more as he launched himself at Shirou and Maiya, only for Saber to jump in front of them and swing her invisible sword at Berserker. Berserker hit the invisible blade with his palm, making the blade not cut him in half. However, with a metallic 'clang', part of the left 'horn' of Berserker's headpiece broke off before stabbing itself into the ground.

"STRIKE AIR!" Saber yelled as the wind enveloping her sword released itself, shooting forward and knocking Berserker several feet away and making Illyasviel cover her eyes. Berserker twisted himself mid-air and landed onto an electrical pole while Saber prepared herself for another attack.

Suddenly, a low rumbling sound echoed through the night and made the ground shake, Shirou, Maiya, Saber, Berserker, and Illyasviel then found themselves inside of a massive shadow, and it only took a second to find the source.

Zeruel.

"I-It's back…" Illyasviel muttered as her eyes widened in fear as she gazed at the monster. Her mind and body were _screaming_ for her to run, but her body was still frozen in fear. She could not stay here. She had to leave! She had to get out _right now_! "Berserker, bring me home!" Illyasviel shouted in fear, snapping Berserker out of his maddened state and making him jump towards Illyasviel before picking her up and fleeing the scene.

"That monster…" Saber muttered as she gazed upon Zeruel. "I remember this feeling now. Is that… Lancer?"

"A Noble Phantasm I presume." Maiya noted in a blank tone while Shirou looked towards the ground, not even noticing Zeruel burst into blood-like liquid that seemed to shrink towards his backyard.

He failed to convince his half sister to stop her quest for revenge. Now, she was even more committed to killing him for his 'lies'. He could have handled the situation better, so that maybe it did not spiral so out of control. And that's not all…

_"I-I probably killed someone today…"_

"Shirou, are you well?" Saber asked Shirou, who simply shook his head. He didn't even pay attention to Assassin's scream towards what was probably a naked Lancer.

"No Saber, no I am not…"

**_Elsewhere (Matou Manor):_**

"N-No!" Matou Shinji shouted as he tried to crawl away form his attacker. "P-Please! I-If its Sakura you want, she's…!" Before he could even finish, a large dark red bastard sword impaled him through the chest. This made blood pour out of Shinji's mouth before his head drooped down, confirming that he was dead.

"Geeze, I guess no matter what universe or story you are in, Matou Shinji will always be a pathetic excuse for a human being." Kirei said with a smirk while Wade let go of the sword handle.

"Yeah, and also this is a good thing for TIM since we got rid of a really unimportant side-character. I mean, what was his point in the story other than being a douche?" Wade asked before looking at the sword once more. "So tell me again why we had to use our off-screen time making a sword similar to the one Erza uses in her Flame Empress armor?"

Kirei smirked before saying, "Why, to frame her of course! Some of the Servants need to die soon, otherwise this story would go on forever! Plus, it is poetic that the first Servants to go in these stories will both be Caster."

"Man, that is _evil_!" Wade exclaimed with a chuckle. "TIM is pulling out all the stops here!" Kirei then chuckled before laughing evilly, confusing Wade. "Uh, you okay?"

"Why, I am better than okay!" Kirei exclaimed while grinning at Wade. "I had looked into the mind of our dear author, and it has supplied me with the greatest news of all time!"

"Free chimichangas?" Wade asked, only for Kirei to shake his head.

"Even better." Kirei said calmly while an evil grin formed on his face. He then spoke a single sentence, and that one sentence seemed to freeze the very air of the room.

"We will win in the end!"

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview! **

"Uh, hello everyone and welcome to the dojo!" Illyasviel shouted as she fidgeted in front of the camera. "Sensei would have started out this section, but…"

Taiga then came crashing through the wall, wood and plaster spewing everywhere before she got back on her feet with an utterly furious expression on her face. "Don't think you'll get away with this you bastard!" Taiga then pointed to the sign on top of the dojo entrance, that had the graffiti message of 'The Farmer Was Here' on it.

A pitchfork then came out of the whole that she crashed through and waved at her before a voice shouted, "Well, what are you going to do about it? Come at me bro!" With a shout of anger, Taiga barreled into the whole once more and the sounds of glorious battle filled the air.

"S-sorry about that…" Illyasviel muttered as she scratched the back of her head. "Famer Kyle helped out with the first part of this chapter and stayed in the dojo for a bit. Sensei didn't really like it though…"

"It should also be noted that Creator betaed this chapter along with Sir Godot." The voice of a young girl stated before Fate/Apocraphia Assassin appeared beside Illyasviel with a blank look on her face.

"W-when did you get here?" Illyasviel asked in shock, only for FA Assassin to stare blankly at her.

"This segment requires a co-host, and thus I have filled in the open slot for now." FA Assassin stated before looking back at the 'screen'. "Now, tell the readers the title for the next chapter."

"R-right!" Illyasviel shouted before looking at the 'screen' as well. "S-stay tuned for the next chapter 'The Real Folk Blues'!"

"CHECK IT OUT!" Taiga's voice echoed from the background before the sounds of battled returned.

"Creator is working hard with TIM to come out for me and Father's return." FA Assassin said before bowing. "Please be patient for the next chapter of 'Stitches'."

**Note-****Yo! It's TIM here with the newest chap! Bet you weren't expecting this bad boy on Christmas Day, or that Avenger would get his GAR back! Well, it goes to show that no matter what universe he is in, Avenger/Archer/EMIYA will always be GAR! But seriously, we all know that Avenger could take on any hero if he were to fight seriously, and this is one of those cases.**

**Originally, I was planning on publishing this thing tomorrow. But then I thought "What the Hell? I'll give them a Christmas present!" Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Anyway, as stated before Farmer Kyle helped me out with the first part of this chapter's fight. And both he and Sir Godot helped beta this chapter. Thanks a bunch guys.**

**Do not forget to check out my profile for the challenges put up there! If you are interested, PM me to inform me that you might take one! **

**And remember to check out Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and add on whatever you think belongs there.**

**Also review if you want to see more awesome insanity from this story!**

**From TIM and his Amazing Friends, Happy Holidays everyone and have a Happy New Year! **


	13. The Real Folk Blues

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Bazette's breathing was erratic as Avenger lifted his hand from the bullet wound in her abdomen, which now looked like a red, puffed up scar. Avenger wiped off the sweat on his forehead, grimacing as he looked at his Master. He had never been good with healing spells, even when he had been alive. All he could do was heal the most minor of wounds and half-hazardly sew up her internal organs, but it wasn't a permanent job. _"Just what did he shoot her with?"_

One more difference to chalk up to this version of himself. It had taken him some time, but he recalled just who that woman was that was always with his alternate self. Emiya Kiritsugu's assistant, Hisau Maiya, who had somehow survived the Fourth Holy Grail War. He only knew her because she had been mentioned twice in Kiritsugu's journal, once when he recruited her and the second time when she died. _"And this little change made everything so damn difficult…"_

This alternate self had mortally wounded his Master, and now he couldn't feel any Prana other than what was necessary for a normal human being to live through their connection. Whatever this Shirou had shot Bazette with, it had obviously destroyed her circuits. Not only that, but it was destroying her body. "Unless I can find some actual help, you're dead and I'm out of the war." Avenger muttered to himself before shaking his head. He then got up from his position over Bazette before walking to her desk and rummaging through her notes.

Bazette, no matter the universe, had _many_ connections. And with connections came people who owed her a favor or two. And there was no way in HELL he was bringing Bazette to Kirei for help.

That was literally like asking a starving lion in its natural habitat to please not eat you.

Avenger clicked his tongue as he threw useless notes on the other Masters off the desk. The entire _mission_ had been a complete failure. He hadn't even been able to take out one Servant, or even Illyasviel, before Bazette was mortally wounded and he had to get her ass out of the fire. He now had given not one, but FOUR Masters and their Servants knowledge about his Noble Phantasm and his abilities. They would be ready next time, meaning he wouldn't be able to catch _any_ of them off guard. And Berserker would most likely not fall for the same strategy twice. It had taken _days_ to find the perfect strategy to utterly annihilate Illyasviel's Servant for a good while, and now that he had used it once it was _useless_!

Avenger then blinked as a single paper caught his eye.

_Notable Healers in the Area_

Avenger then grinned as he scanned through the names and the numbers to reach them. He knew where Bazette kept her money, so the bill wouldn't be a problem.

All that mattered was keeping his Master from dying.

At least for now.

**_Elsewhere (Matou Manor):_**

Sakura swallowed the saliva that had been building up in her mouth as she opened the door to her 'home' with Assassin and Tsubaki following behind her. The night had been too crazy for her. She had retreated to Luvia's house for a good hour before Assassin, Tsubaki, and Lancer had returned to them. Apparently, Shirou had been able to mortally wound Avenger's Master, and Lancer had scared off Berserker and his Master. She could not blame the girl (woman?) for being frightened. Even she had been shaken by the energy produced by Lancer's Noble Phantasm. But she was happy about the results. Shirou was safe and Berserker would not appear for a good while. Luvia had congratulated Lancer for her actions before Sakura had left the mansion and headed for her own home.

_"Nii-san is probably going to be furious that I'm late again…"_ Sakura thought with a sigh as she stepped through the door and took off her shoes. Shinji had always seemed to be mildly annoyed whenever she didn't return by ten, mostly because he was a light sleeper and she woke him up when she arrived. However, she also knew that her 'brother' held a deep-rooted disdain for her, which she tried constantly to dispel by being nice to him.

Yet he still acted cold to her, so sometimes she thought it was a lost cause…

"Something's not right…" Assassin muttered to himself while his eyes narrowed. "It's too quiet…"

"Does your brother spend nights with any friends Sakura?" Tsubaki asked, her face suddenly shifting into a much more serious expression.

Sakura shook her head before saying, "N-no! N-Nii-san does not really go out with friends this late. He is usually sleeping o-or reading…"

Assassin sniffed the air before his eyes narrowed even more and he muttered, "Blood…" As soon as the word came out of his mouth, he darted straight forward, making Sakura and Tsubaki run after him.

"Assassin! W-wait!" Sakura called out as she followed Assassin to Shinji's room, however, when he opened the door he motioned for Sakura not to come any closer. "What's wrong?"

"…I don't think this is something you have to see." Assassin said in a dead serious tone, making Sakura blink. Shaking her head, she walked forward and looked over Assassin…

…to see Shinji on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling on top of a pool of blood with a large red sword impaled into his chest.

Sakura's eyes widened in shock and horror before she let out panicked breaths and shouted, "KKKYYAAAAHHH!" She then ran away, making Tsubaki try and reach for her.

"Sakura! Wai-!" Tsubaki began, only for Assassin to place his hand on her shoulder. "Black*Star? What are you…?"

"Let her go. She needs to handle this on her own." Assassin said in an almost empty tone while gazing upon the corpse. "If she needs help, we will be there in only a second. Besides, I have a good idea as to where she is headed." He then walked up to Shinji's corpse and took out the sword before beginning to inspect it.

_"…Black*Star…"_ Tsubaki thought worriedly as her partner began to give the sword a few practice swings. He almost never went into one of these 'moods', in fact he had _never_ been this serious or cold in his life! _"Did what happened with Kid and the others really change you this much?"_

"This is Caster's sword. The one she used when we saw her at the temple." Assassin muttered as he set the sword down. "But it should have disappeared by now if it was just a hit-and-run attack by her. So why is it still here?"

"…I don't know Black*Star. But we should really go after Sakura now." Tsubaki said with a sigh while looking into Assassin's eyes. "Please?"

Assassin stared at Tsubaki for a moment before sighing and saying: "Alright, let's go." With a smile, Tsubaki ran out towards the front door. Assassin looked back at Shinji's corpse before looking at the sword, thinking, _"I don't like this. Not one damn bit." _He then ran after Tsubaki, his face reverting to one of playful annoyance before shouting, "Hey, wait up!"

**_Elsewhere (Dreamscape):_**

_Shirou smelled gunpowder in the air within the ruined town that he now found himself in. Once proud buildings were now toppled over, never to stand tall ever again. Shirou saw red splotches coming from under the rubble, meaning that some people had been crushed under them. The sky seemed to be an eternal grey as more and more smoke rose from the distance. _"Where am I?"_ Shirou asked out loud as he continued to walk forward. Gunfire then filled the air, making Shirou run towards the source. Shirou now found himself in the town's square as soldiers continued to fire on a red blur. As the red blue passed by each one of them, blood spewed from slash marks as the soldiers screamed in agony. Limbs, heads, and even bodies were cut off in disturbing simplicity before the red blur stopped._

_Shirou now saw the back of a tall man wearing red. His skin was a light tan and Shirou saw his hair was entirely grey except for a few strands of red. He saw a scar run partially down his left cheek, but other than that his face was hidden. In his hands were two Chinese scimitars, one black and one red, stained red with the soldiers' blood._

_But Shirou knew who he was through his outfit alone._

_This was Avenger._

_'Avenger' looked around at the carnage he caused before asking in an empty voice,_

_"Am I really a hero?"_

_The black and white scimitars then appeared in his eyes once more, this time much clearer. It was almost like he could tell what they were made of and how he could make them again. Shirou reached his arms out to grasp them…_

**_Reality:_**

"Gah!" Shirou shouted as he shot up from his bed, breathing in and out as his eyes darted from side to side.

"Shirou?" Saber asked as she sat up from her own position in his bed, her nightwear being her casual clothes minus the boots. Her eyes widened as Shirou's cheeks bulged and he bolted out of his room. "Wait!"

Shirou kneeled on top of the toilet as dinner came from his stomach and out of his throat before it landed into the toilet water. After a minute, it stopped and Shirou began to spit out what remained in his mouth before taking deep breaths. He had had the dream again, this time even more vivid and real. But why? Why was he dreaming about _Avenger_ of all people when he _should_ be having Saber's memories in his dreams? _"Why? Why is this happening to me?"_

"Shirou, are you well?" Saber asked as she looked at him with a worried expression on her face. Shirou then got onto his feet before flushing the toilet, shaking his head all the while.

"No Saber, I'm not feeling alright." Shirou muttered as he headed for the sink and opened the faucet, taking a handful of water before putting it in his mouth, swishing it for a bit and then spitting it into the sink. "But it's just a bad dream. Nothing else."

"It's serious if you are emptying your stomach over it Shirou." Saber said bluntly while looking at her Master with a serious expression on her face. "Is this about Avenger's Master?"

Shirou blinked at that assessment of his current problems. To be fair, that _had_ been bothering him for most of the night. Maybe talking about it would make him feel better? "Kinda." Shirou then sighed before continuing. "Maiya-san always told me that I would one day need to kill to protect my loved ones, and I wanted to make sure that woman would not harm Sakura or Luvia ever again, but…" Shirou grimaced as the memory of Bazette's look of utter agony came to his mind. How she stumbled about before dropping onto the ground with her life blood spilling out of her wounds…

"This is the first time you have ever attempted to bring actual harm to another person." Saber summarized, to which Shirou nodded in response. "Killing is never easy Shirou, but sometimes it is necessary."

"I know…" Shirou muttered as he leaned against the sink, his eyes looking down in shame with the knowledge that Saber, a girl who looked a bit younger than him, was chiding him about this. "It's just…"

"Shirou, I have killed many men in my life for my kingdom." Saber spoke as she stood in front of Shirou. "And they were also more than willing to kill me in order to succeed in their goals. However, so long as you have something to defend, you must be willing to do anything to protect it."

Shirou opened his eyes as he looked at Saber's green pools. She was right. If he hadn't fought against Avenger's Master, she probably would have killed him before going after Luvia and Sakura. Magi in the Holy Grail War were willing to do anything to obtain the prize, and she wouldn't listen to him about it being tainted. _"I did what I had to do…"_ But it still did not stop the memory of her pained face from coming into mind, or Avenger's judging look as he picked her up.

For some reason, Saber felt her cheeks heat up as Shirou continued to stare into his eyes. This made her look away before thinking, _"Why am I acting like this? He is my Master and I am his Servant!" _That thought still did not stop her heart from beating faster and faster.

Suddenly, a hurried knock echoed through the front door, making Shirou blink in surprise. Just who could be up this late? Walking past Saber, he went for the front door before opening it to find Sakura with her head hung down. "Sakura? What's wrong?"

"S-sempai…" Sakura muttered as her hands clenched into fists. "N-Nii-san… H-he's…"

"What? What's wrong with Shinji?" Shirou asked while blinking his eyes in confusion. He hadn't talked to Shinji in a while and only got into brief conversations with him at school. They had had a bit of a falling out when Shirou had gotten angry with how Shinji treated Sakura, and they hadn't talked much since. But it didn't mean he was completely indifferent to him.

Sakura then looked up, making Shirou see the tears streaming down her face. "H-he's dead Sempai!" She then slammed her body into Shirou's before continuing to cry on his chest.

Shirou's eyes widened in shock. Shinji was dead? How? Who could have done it? _"Why would anyone want to kill Shinji?"_

But he didn't say anything, and just softly hugged the frightened Sakura closer as she emptied out her tears on him.

As Saber continued to look on at the scene, she felt a presence behind her. She looked to her side to see Assassin and Tsubaki with serious expressions on their faces before Assassin said, "I got an idea of who did it, but I'm not so sure if it's really her."

Saber narrowed her eyes before saying, "Tell me _everything_ Assassin."

**_Elsewhere (Dreamscape):_**

_Rin blinked as she looked around. She was no longer in her bed; she was now in a rainy alleyway in a random city. She heard crying, and turned to see a young boy over the body of a man and a woman's dead bodies, with a grey haired man standing just in front of both of the bodies and the boy. _"What is going on?"_ Rin asked herself as the scene melted before her, and instead changed to a plain apartment room._

_The boy was now doing pushups with one hand while glaring angrily at the grey-haired man who smirked at him. At the moment Rin saw the boy's cat-like eyes, she realized who it was. _"Archer?" _Rin asked, before watching the scene continuing to play out._

_The man in front of the young Archer was the murderer of Archer's parents, who was training the boy in both marksmanship and killing techniques. He dangled the chance of killing him to the boy who sorely wished to avenge his parents like a piece of cheese to a mouse. With this, the young Archer trained, and trained, and _trained_ for that sole purpose, his skills being honed with each and every passing month. He tried several times, and failed, to kill the man who only encouraged him to get better with his skills. Despite the sheer torture the man put the boy through, the man still took care of the boy who hated him with every fiber of his being. He made the young Archer drink milk daily, saying it would make him stronger. _"Well, that explains his love for milk."_ Rin said blandly to herself before the scene melted away._

_The man was now bleeding, and the young Archer was now shedding angry tears. Killing the man was his life goal, and now it was taken away from him. Instead of mocking him, the man encouraged the young Archer to become an even greater killer than he ever was. After that, the man left the world._

_Time moved on, and Archer grew into a young man who was cold and distant from the world. He joined an organization as one of their greatest assassins. He hated the very world he lived in and trusted no one but himself. Another man by the name of Creed became his partner, and the man thought he understood Archer to be like himself. His fascination was disturbing, and when Archer became the Thirteenth best warrior of the Chronos Organization, he slayed the one who brought Archer into the group before fleeing._

_Years later, Archer met a woman named Saya. She was beautiful, even Rin could admit to that. She was a sweeper, a bounty hunter, who never killed her targets, believing that there was a choice between killing and not killing. She met with Archer on a rooftop in the moonlight, feeding the cats that were by him and taking his milk. She taught Archer…how to be human again._

_But the man named Creed took that away from him._

_Fueled with rage, Archer beat Creed but was unable to prevent him from fleeing, claiming that he killed Saya to save him. Deciding to become a Sweeper to honor her memory, Archer left Chronos and became a 'stray cat'._

_As a Sweeper, he met and became friends with a laid-back former government agent. Together, they hunted bounties and attempted to make a living together. Archer became care-free to hide his own pain and began to enjoy the life that Saya had loved. Together, they rescued a quiet girl and saved her from her fate of being a weapon. A gorgeous thief then joined them, sticking to them eventually after many battled._

_But Archer's past was not through with him._

_His former organization continued to hunt him, and his former partner resurfaced with a new organization, intent on spreading chaos everywhere. When his friends were captured and he faced Creed once more, Archer chose to save his friends rather than kill the man for killing Saya._

_Enemies became allies, and those allies grew as time went on. Archer had enough strength behind him to attack his former partner once more, and used his ultimate attack to cripple Creed rather than kill him. He honored Saya's memory with the price being his prized gun._

_Life only seemed to go on after that. He helped train the quiet girl in becoming a Sweeper, and continued with the life that Saya wanted him to live. He died of old age, nothing more. He was content to lie in his bed and die like any other man._

_But he still held a wish, yes. He held the wish he could be with Saya, the woman who saved him from himself, if only to watch those fireworks one last time…_

**_Reality:_**

Rin opened her eyes before muttering to herself, "Were those really Archer's memories?"

The Master-Servant link between her and Archer would have brought her the Servant's memories sooner or later, but for some reason her Servant's memories were not very accurate to the world's timeline.

A terrorist organization like the 'Apostles of the Stars' along with the 'Sweeper Alliance' going in to round them up would have made major headlines, and some of the places Archer visited during his life did not even exist! _"At least, I don't think they exist."_ Rin thought to herself as she stared at her ceiling. _"I should probably look at a map tomorrow. I can visit the library, since it is Sun-." _Rin's eyes then drooped before she thought, "_But mother is visiting father's grave tomorrow…"_

Her mother still visited her father's grave once a month, and prayed for his spirit. She accompanied her in the prayer every day, but now it was different. She was in the Holy Grail War, and she needed to research this crucial piece of her Servant's past.

_"...I'll think about it tomorrow." _Rin thought to herself before closing her eyes once more. _"But I guess… that Archer really understands what it's like to lose someone."_

It was a nice thought, knowing that she wasn't alone…

**_The Next Morning (Edelfelt Mansion):_**

Luvia watched the rain drip down her window as she sipped her morning coffee. It had been raining hard ever since last night, despite the weather woman claiming that it would be bright and sunny.

Just goes to show that you can never trust the weather channel for anything.

_"I should go see Shirou later."_ Luvia thought to herself as she frowned while closing the hangers. _"Matou is going to the cemetery to visit one of her relatives, so it's up to me to keep him company."_

It still left her with a bad taste in her mouth that she was using her rival's pain to her advantage, but it was not the only reason why she was going to see Shirou. The sword that had apparently killed Matou Shinji belonged to Caster. Saber herself confirmed that it was the same design, but expressed her doubts that it actually belonged to Caster. For one, it lacked any Mana that would have been used to perform her fire magic, and it still had not disappeared despite being away from its summoner for several hours. Still, they wished to question the Servant about this. And if Caster instead wanted to come to blows with the group, they had to be prepared.

_"Still, if someone had framed Caster, then why? What purpose is there in directing attacks on her?" _Luvia thought to herself with narrowed eyes before she sat down in the kitchen chair. _"Are they leading us into a trap? There is the possibility that Caster is in fact behind this. That cannot be discounted at all. But that begs to question: What point is there is directing all of us to her? Could she have a Noble Phantasm that would allow her to combat multiple Servants?"_

"I have returned, Master." Lancer spoke before she materialized beside Luvia. "There has been no movement within the Temple, and Caster did not detect my presence."

"Hm…" Luvia hummed to herself while tapping her fingers on the desk. "No activity at all… Perhaps Caster is still attempting to recover from the previous fight…"

It was not out of the question. After all, Kuzuki was not a Magus and thus could not give the appropriate amount of Prana that Caster required. Considering the fact that no one in town had fainted or died, it meant that Caster was not taking huge amounts of Prana from the leyline under the temple... which in turn meant that she and Souichirou had to be doing…_that_… (This caused Luvia's skin to flush red in embarrassment) in order for Caster to have enough Prana to remain in the war.

"Continue observing from a distance Lancer." Luvia ordered her Servant before sipping her tea again. "We cannot be caught off guard by Caster leaving the temple. Report back if there is any change, or when I call for you."

"…Yes Master." Lancer spoke before bowing slightly and disappearing from view. Luvia had the utmost confidence in her Servant's abilities, and her final Noble Phantasm was almost unmatched by everyone except for Rider in this war. If Lancer were to use her Noble Phantasm to its full abilities, she was confident that Lancer could wipe Caster from the face of the Earth.

But no, if Lancer were to do that there was a chance that the other Masters were to create countermeasures against it. So Zeruel needed to be used sparingly, and only when the situation required for it to arise. Most likely against Rider and Waver Velvet, if they came to blows again.

_"I hope not."_ Luvia thought to herself with a sigh as she got up and headed for the door, grabbing an umbrella on her way out. She had given Sebastian the day off for God knows what reason. She hadn't even known Shinji that well, and only saw him as a worm at best when she did see him. But still, he was Shirou's former friend and Matou's brother, so that had to count for _something_. _"The last fight was one out of recklessness. I only hope that he will listen rather than attacking first for Lancer's actions…"_

No use contemplating about this. Right now, she had to go to Shirou's home.

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Cemetery):_**

Sakura stood in the rain, without an umbrella, as she gripped the white roses in her hands even tighter while gazing at the tombstone. She didn't even care that the thorns dug into her skin, for her pain was nothing compared to the one she stood before. The tombstone read a simple message:

_Matou Kariya_

_March 22nd, 1965-December 21st, 1995_

_Beloved Brother, Loved Uncle, and Caring Friend_

"Hello Kariya-ojisan. I'm back." Sakura spoke as she stared at the tombstone, attempting to sound happy but most likely failing miserably. "Things have been good with Sempai, and I think that me and Luvia-san are getting along okay."

The tombstone did not answer, not that Sakura expected it to. Kariya was dead and buried, there was no changing that, but she wanted to think that he was still here. Watching over her and listening to her as she talked here.

"Assassin is very loud, like usual. But Tsubaki-san is helpful with calming him down." Sakura continued while giving a small smile. "Lancer-san is still quiet, but I think she is beginning to open up more to us. She stays around for meals instead of just going into her spirit form. It is… nice to have her around. And Sensei does not mind them staying over, so long as we continue to give her food. Lancer-san does seem to like to sit close to Shinji-san though, and I think that Sensei is a bit jealous. I am worried about Maiya-san though. She may not admit to it, but she is concerned about Sempai's safety. But I am confident that Saber-san will protect him." Sakura then looked down before muttering, "Still worried about how she feels about Sempai though…"

The cemetery remained quiet, save for the pitter-patter of the rain.

"Kariya-ojisan? I-I have some b-bad news…" Sakura muttered as tears began to well up in her eyes. "S-shinji… N-Nii-san… is dead… and it's all my fault…" Tears began to fall from her eyes and fell on the muddy ground. "I-It's because I took a part of this… the Holy Grail War… like you did… it's because of my participation that he's dead…" Sakura squeezed the roses even harder, blood now coming out of the punctures created by the thorns. "E-even though he made me join this war, it was still my decision. I could have refused, and if I did that, t-then he would still be alive right now…." Sakura then attempted to wipe away the tears from her eyes, only to continue crying. "H-he hated me you know. He hated everyone, but I knew that…that he was just sad. H-He could still have become nice, if I kept on being nice to him. If he would have just let people in instead of hating everyone, he would have realized he wasn't as alone and hated as he thought he was…"

_"Could things have been any different if you kept on being nice to him?" _A traitorous part of her mind asked, making Sakura blink in surprise. _"He treated us like some… some _thing!_ Just because we became a part of a family we didn't want to be a part of in the first place!"_

"That may be true…" Sakura admitted as loosened her grip on the roses. "…But I could have still tried. It was not his fault of being born in the family anymore than it was ours becoming a part of it." The tears then stopped flowing from her eyes, but the rain did not slow down in the slightest. "I still hate them you know. Zouken and Tou-san I mean. Zouken took everything from me… my sanity and even my innocence. I am dirtied in the worst way possible, and I do not even have the guts to tell the one I love about it. I still hate Tou-san for even giving me to Zouken. I know I shouldn't think like that Kariya-ojisan, but I do." Sakura put down the flowers in front of Kariya's tombstone before placing her right hand on it. "I-I still miss you Kariya-ojisan. You were willing to die trying to get me out of that torture I was put through daily, and you even succeeded in a way. I-I even think I found the happiness you talked about in the form of Sempai. H-He makes me feel safe and warm inside. I-I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I want to be a part of his family, and even though it is selfish, I want us to make one as well. B-but I still cannot face Nee-san or my mother. I don't know why, but something stops me every time I try."

Silence continued to fill the air, despite her heartfelt confession. But then again, no one was here but the dead.

"I promise I will find the one who killed Nii-san." Sakura stated as she got up, now feeling a bit happier as she gave the tombstone a small smile. "I won't let his death be for nothing. I miss you Kariya-ojisan. I will see you again soon." She then turned around before muttering, "I love you, Kariya-ojisan."

"Sakura?" A familiar voice called out in shock, making Sakura look up to see the person only a few feet in front of her.

It was Tohsaka Aoi, her hand covering her mouth as she stared at Sakura in shock while her right hand gripped her umbrella

Tohsaka Aoi, widow of Tohsaka Tokiomi and the mother of Tohsaka Rin and Sakura.

_Her _mother…

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"Yosh boys and girls!" Taiga shouted with a bright smile on her face. "The Taiga dojo starts now!"

"Hmph!" Illyasviel pouted as she sat in the corner.

"What's wrong my student?" Taiga asked, noticing Illyaviel's distress.

"It's no fair!" Illyasviel whined as she waved her hands around like a… well… _child_ would. "I didn't get any screen time this chapter, and I was totally beating Onii-chan in the last one! Even Tohsaka got screen time, and she didn't appear in the last chapter at all!"

"Now, now my student. We can't control when we appear in this fic…" Taiga said sagely while patting Illyasviel on the back. "However, we _will_ be getting screen time in the next chapter. Right TIM?" Taiga questioned while a dangerous glint came from her eyes.

Y-yeah… sure…

"Alright!" Illyasviel cheered as she went to her feet and looked at the 'screen'. "Stay tuned for the next chapter 'In The Rain'!"

"CHECK IT OUT!" Taiga cried out while pumping her fist into the air.

**Note****- Yo! Since I had the free time, and because the New Year is just a day away, I decided to cook up this chapter for you guys! As you can tell, this chapter was mostly dedicated to drama, as will most of the next one. But you _will_ be getting the Caster fight soon, I promise! I would also like to thank Sir Godot for all his help for betaing this bad boy! Thanks a lot man! **

**Anyway, here to tell you guys that I've now been following some old anime, and I have to say the only one that I really like is Lupin the Third! Hell, the only reason why I'm checking it out is because the show inspired some elements of Cowboy Bebop, and man, the animation is good for something that came out in the seventies! **

**Also… _CARNIVAL PHANTASM IS GETTING A SEASON 4! _Rejoice fellow fans of Type-Moon, for the Carnival is returning! On a side note, the next chapter of _Carnival Frenzy_ will come out soon, so do not fret! **

**And do not forget to check out the challenges on my profile! PM me if your interested! You will also find the link to Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page, so check that out and add on whatever you think is relevant!**

**And review! Reviews fuel my muse, so the more reviews the better! Tell me what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right! Get off your buts and work out your fingers! **

**…Please? **


	14. In The Rain

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

_"She looks so different now…" _Aoi thought to herself as she gazed upon her estranged daughter for what felt like the first time. Sakura's former aqua eyes and black hair, which had been inherited by Tokiomi's side of the family, were gone now. Instead they had been replaced by purple pupils and purple hair, which Aoi had heard was the standard hair color for females in the Matou family. _"Zouken must have placed a spell on her before he died to make her a permanent member of the Matou family." _Aoi thought to herself as she gripped her umbrella harder. _"But she still looks so much like me…"_

She knew that she shouldn't think like that. She knew that Sakura was no longer her daughter after Tokiomi had been forced to give her to the Matou family so that both she and Rin would not fight over the Tohsaka Crest. But something within her told her that she _had_ to talk with Sakura. After all, when would she get another chance?

"A-Aoi-san…" Sakura muttered while fidgeting a bit. Aoi had not changed from what Sakura remembered her to be. She had some crow's feet now, but still looked as young as ever. Honestly, this was a surprise for her as well. She did not want to talk with her former mother, at least not yet. But then again, she had been avoiding this for most of her life and this was probably her only chance to do this. "I-It's nice to meet you…"

"Why are you without an umbrella?" Aoi asked as she looked Sakura over from head to toe. "You must be soaked. Come, I think I can…"

"I'm fine like this!" Sakura blurted out, shocking Aoi at the sudden burst of emotion. "I-I mean that I don't mind getting wet…"

The silence between the two afterwards went beyond the normal 'awkward' and just went straight to 'eerie'. It did not help that the rain continued to make an ominous white noise.

"I heard from Rin that you are a part of the Archery Club." Aoi spoke, breaking the silence between them.

"Did she now…" Sakura muttered, her head bowed slightly and her eyes widened in shock. Since entering her school, she had not spoken to Rin unless it was completely necessary, and Rin had never made any move to interact with her. Sometimes, Sakura had thought that Rin had completely forgotten about her. And yet, she had told Aoi that she was a part of the Archery Club? _"She told her this, and yet Nee-san hasn't even spoken to me?"_ "What else did she tell you?"

Aoi now felt like she was treading on dangerous ground. With how coldly Sakura spat out that last question, she obviously hadn't know that Rin had given her this information. But why should it bother her in the first place? _"Rin doesn't like to talk about her school life, but couldn't she have tried to become friends with Sakura even if they could not be sisters?"_ Aoi thought to herself before gulping in anticipation and saying, "T-that you like to usually be with that Emiya boy, and that you allied yourself to him and the Edelfelt heir in the Holy Grail War…"

_"Figures she would mention that."_ Sakura thought to herself darkly while her fists clenched so hard that her nails dug into her skin. It seemed that no matter what, her estranged sister would focus on them being enemies. "And why are you here?" Sakura muttered, her voice full of disdain. "So that you can boast how _Tohsaka-sa…_"

"Don't call her that." Aoi snapped harshly. "She is not just some stranger. You can call her by her fi-."

"Why should I? She treats _me_ like one at school!" Sakura now shouted, looking Aoi straight in the eyes. "We see each other every day at school. I come across her in the hallways more times than I can count! But does she ever stop to have a conversation with me? To be nice to me and ask how I am doing? _No!_ She just talks to me when there's no way around it! And you… _You_ don't even say two words to me, and I see you every time I go to the supermarket to get supplies for Sempai's dinner!"

_"She's making that boy's dinner?"_ Aoi thought to herself in shock before focusing on the matter at hand. "T-That's not the point Sakura. She's still you're sis…" She then stopped herself at the utterly furious look Sakura was giving her.

Sakura had never meant to go off on Aoi like that. She didn't _want_ to yell at her, not in front of Kariya's grave. But what she was going to _say…_ What Aoi was trying to _imply…_ "A SISTER WOULDN'T TREAT ME LIKE A COMPLETE STRANGER FOR YEARS ON END!" Sakura shouted in pure, unadulterated rage as her fingernails now broke her skin. "A _real _sister would have tried to see me at every opportunity to see if I was all right!" At this, Sakura then pointed at Aoi. "A _real mother_ wouldn't have said _nothing_ while her daughter was being taken away to a completely different family, and then _continue_ to say nothing whenever she saw her! And a _real father_ would have never sold me to another family in the first place!"

"How dare you…" Aoi muttered, her hands now shaking with anger. How could she say that? Did she even _know_ the sheer torture that she had gone through on that day? The sacrifice Tokiomi had to make in order for Sakura and Rin not to fight each other over the Crest? "Your father sacrificed so much for you! He wanted you to go to a strong Magus family so that you would not fight your sister! If you had continued to live with us, then you and Rin would have…"

"And yet the Edelfelts are able to _split_ their crest between two heirs without a problem!" Sakura countered with narrowed eyes. "I read it in one of the Matou books a few years ago."

Aoi's eyes widened at that piece of knowledge and took a step back. She did not know about _that_. "B-But Tokiomi said that was impossible… That in order for the Tohsaka family to remain strong…"

"Luvia-san's magic is _just as strong_ as _Nee-san's_ despite her Crest being split. I don't see anything wrong with _her_." Sakura spat out coldly before looking upwards, remaining silent as the raindrops impacted with her skin. "Do you even know what the Matou do to females of their family? Especially _Magi_ women, when they want to 'train' them?"

Aoi shook her head in response. Tokiomi had never mentioned anything like that to her, so she had simply assumed that Zouken trained Sakura like Tokiomi trained Rin. It had to be that, right?

"I was violated constantly by Worm Familiars. I was _deflowered _by a _worm_ at the age of _six_. Did you know that? My innocence, taken away for me to grow _strong_." A bitter laugh, one that even Sakura thought she was incapable of. "Did you know that _Kaa-san_? Did _Tou-san_ ever tell you about _that_ little tid-bit of the Matou family?"

Aoi could feel the bile rise to her throat, and she could hardly keep it down. _"T-this has to be a lie." _Aoi thought to herself desperately as Sakura lowered her head. She saw her daughter's eyes.

They were empty.

She had only seen eyes like that in photos of prisoners of war, victims of genocide, and other people who had completely lost hope.

Sakura was not lying.

"Kariya-ojisan knew that." Sakura muttered as she continued to gaze at Aoi. "That's why, when you told him about me, he took part in the Holy Grail War. He killed his own body so that the Grail would accept him, because if he won the Grail for _Zouken…_" Sakura spit out the name with utter contempt and hatred, like it was poisen to her own tongue. "…He would let me go. He was willing to _die_ so save me, and he did. That is what a _real_ father would have done for his daughter. Kariya-ojisan was more of a father than _Tohsaka Tokiomi_ ever was!"

"How can you say that?" Aoi asked with widened eyes. "K-Kariya murdered Tokiomi, your own _father_!"

Sakura said nothing as she heard that piece of information. She did not know most of the stuff Kariya had done during the Holy Grail War, but it was not surprising to hear this bit of information. It would explain why Tokiomi had had his funeral around the same time Kariya and the other victims of the Fuyuki Fire had been buried. "…Even if that is true, I do not care."

"That's enough Matou."

The new voice seemed to make Aoi freeze up in shock. Sakura slowly turned to see Rin glaring at her, her red coat on her shoulders and round sunglasses on her face. Archer was behind her, looking at her and Aoi with narrowed eyes as if he was studying them. "Leave this place, or else…"

"Or else what?" Assassin's voice asked, making them all turn to see him leaning against an angel bust while Tsubaki stood by him. "If you try anything, you'll have to deal with me. And unlike last time, I won't hold back."

"…How long have you been there?" Sakura asked with an empty voice, making Tsubaki flinch at the coldness of the tone.

"Long enough." Was Assassin's simple reply before he walked towards Sakura with Tsubaki in tow behind him. "You didn't have to hide all this crap you know."

_That_ made Sakura blink. They didn't judge her because of what they heard? They were not disgusted by her?

"It does not change anything Sakura." Tsubaki confirmed with a nod of her head, conviction literally radiating from her voice. "You are still our Master and our friend. And if you told Shirou, he would feel the same way."

"…" Sakura said nothing as she processed everything in her head. They really weren't going to think of her as a disgusting piece of trash because of her past? They really thought her Sempai would not care about this? _"Of course he wouldn't. Sempai is too kind to do something like that."_ Sakura thought to herself before she let out a weak nod of agreement before muttering, "I-I would like to go home now." Tsubaki wrapped her arm around her waist but before she could begin to move, Sakura stopped her. She then looked at Aoi and said, "Kariya-ojisan loved you. He loved you with all his heart. But he didn't say it because he knew that, if you accepted his feelings, you would have been put through the same thing I was put through."

Aoi's eyes widened even more at this.

"It's because of this that he didn't say anything when you married to _Tokiomi_. Maybe… if he had… he would have been our father. Maybe… we could have been happier in that world." Sakura muttered out before tugging on Tsubaki's arm. At this she, Assassin, and Tsubaki disappeared in a flash of pure speed.

It was then that Aoi dropped to her knees, let go of her umbrella, and placed her hands on the cold ground before letting the tears fall from her eyes onto the unforgiving ground.

Rin just continued to look at the ground sadly while letting her mother grieve. She had not said anything to Sakura because she had been hoping that Sakura was happy without having to deal with the burdens that came with being a Tohsaka. But after hearing this… after hearing Sakura's _true_ feelings and experiences…

Guilty didn't even begin to _describe _how she felt right now.

Archer then looked at the statues of the angels in the graveyard and muttered, "Even the angels are crying…"

It was true, water droplets were running down the statues' stone cheeks from their eyes, as if they were crying.

It perhaps even explained why the damn rain seemed to get worse.

**_Elsewhere (Emiya Residence):_**

Shirou took a deep breath before closing his eyes and holding out his two hands. In a flash of light, the two colorless copies of Avenger's swords appeared in his hands. Shirou opened his eyes before growling and hitting them together, making the swords shatter like glass before their pieces fell on the floor.

"Hm, while I do admit that Avenger's skill is similar to Projection, all of our efforts to reproduce it have proven to be failures." Luvia muttered as she sat on a chair in front of Shirou, her right hand under her chin in a thinking pose. Saber stood beside Shirou, looking seriously at him as he kept clenching and unclenching his hands. When Luvia had arrived at the Emiya Residence, Maiya had directed her to the shed in the back where Shirou was working. Apparently, he had been attempting to recreate Avenger's technique with little success. So far, Luvia had been simply observing and placing her own theories but so far no luck. _"Whatever Avenger uses, it is not normal Projection magecraft."_ Luvia thought to herself with a furrowed brow. _"There is something else to it. Those swords supposedly had the same abilities as the originals they were copied from. But what? What is it?"_

"Unless we personally ask Avenger for instructions, I do not think we will have much success in this endeavor." Saber added, looking at the broken copies on the floor. "There are too many factors that would prevent you from copying the technique perfectly."

_"Damn it…" _Shirou thought to himself as he clenched his hands into fists. He had been training ever since Sakura had left to visit her uncle's grave. While he couldn't prevent Shinji's death, he _could_ prevent anyone else close to him from getting hurt. But to do that he had to become strong, and he had to do so _fast_. _"I need to do this. I have to get stronger to protect _all_ of them! How can I be a protector of justice if I can't even protect the people I care about? Come on, what am I doing wrong? What do I have to…"_

_"Trace… On…" _The words from his first dream echoed through his mind. Was that it? Was that simple phrase all he needed to accomplish this task?

Shirou took a deep breath before breathing out the word, "Trace…" Information then hit Shirou like a freight train. For some reason, he _knew_ how to make the sword down to the very materials. Bits and pieces of their history went into his mind. They had been crafted by the blacksmith Gan Jiang, and how he had made them came into his mind. He saw the swords, Bakuya and Kanshou, in his mind's eye before he finished with… "…On…"

Shirou felt his Circuits light up before, in a flash of golden light, the two swords appeared in his hands. They were perfect, except for the strange red hexagonal markings all over them. Shirou heard Saber and Luvia gasp in shock while he grinned and hit them together. Instead of shattering like the others, the swords instead made sparks fly.

"S-Shirou!" Luvia gasped out as she stared at the swords with widened eyes. "H-How…?"

"I… think I understand what Avenger does…" Shirou muttered as he looked at the swords. "He adds extra steps to Projection, adds the swords' history, in order to make them."

"That is the secret?" Saber muttered as she stared at the swords. If that was the case, then it was even more important to hide Excalibur. If Avenger could really reproduce any Noble Phantasm he set his eyes on, then there was no telling what he would do if he saw the Sword of Promised Victory. "Shirou, you must train even more with this technique. It would allow you to protect yourself to an even greater degree than before."

"I know." Shirou agreed as he looked down at the newly created swords. After all, they were going to see Souichirou and Caster later in the night. And if things got ugly, then he would have to defend himself. _"But I don't want to kill Kuzuki-sensei."_ Shirou thought to himself as the swords disappeared from his hands in a flash of light. _"So what do I…?"_

"Shirou." Maiya suddenly spoke as she opened the door to the shed. "Sakura has returned, but…" Shirou did not wait to hear the reason. Instead, he bolted past the three women and ran inside the house. He instantly went for the guest room, where Sakura usually slept whenever she wanted to take a small nap, and saw her laying in the futon sleeping peacefully with Assassin and Tsubaki over her.

"She… kinda fainted when we got here." Assassin explained while scratching the back of his head. "That lady, Maiya, told us to put her here while she got you."

"With what happened earlier, I can't blame her." Tsubaki muttered with a sullen expression on her face. "She must be exhausted…"

"What? What happened to Sakura?" Shirou asked hurriedly as he gazed at the sleeping form of Sakura with a worried expression on his face.

Tsubaki's expression turned into a pained one before she said, "She… she met with the mother of Archer's Master and they…"

"They spouted some crap about her, but then I made my big introduction to make them back off!" Assassin shouted with a wide grin on his face. "You should have seen the look on their faces! Hell, God himself stopped the rain to prove how big of a star I am!"

"Oh…" Shirou muttered with a downcast expression on his face. Sakura could have been hurt by Tohsaka and her Servant, and he wouldn't even have _known_ about it! What kind of friend was he?

"Hey, don't worry. My brightness will make her wake up in no time!" Assassin shouted before giving Shirou a thumbs-up. "Just sit tight and wait for us! I want her to be up when we put the screws in Caster! Gahahahaha!"

"…" Shirou just stared at Assassin for a minute before sighing in defeat. _"Too freaking loud…" _"Alright, I'll make Sakura some soup and tea. Please, watch over her while I'm gone." Shirou then left the room, leaving Assassin and Tsubaki alone with Sakura.

"Why wouldn't you let me tell him Black*Star?" Tsubaki asked with an angry expression on her face as she looked at her partner. "He needed to…!"

"Sakura needs to tell the guy herself." Assassin muttered as he crossed his arms across his chest. "It's her past. She needs to handle it on her own. I don't like it anymore than you do Tsubaki, but we can't get involved with the skeletons she has in her closet."

"But still…" Tsubaki muttered as she looked at Sakura. "What happened to her was just too horrible…"

"I know Tsubaki…" Assassin muttered, his eyes now becoming dull as he looked out of the window. "Trust me, I know…"

**_Elsewhere (Shinji's Apartment):_**

Shinji sat on his bed and stared at the wall for a couple of minutes with a neutral expression on his face. Ever since yesterday, he had been getting the feeling that something bad was going to happen. And it did not help that he had seen Lancer's _Zeruel_ form rise last night.

_"Why does this have to happen?" _Shinji thought to himself before he looked at the ceiling, his fan continuing to move and generate a nice breeze. _"I just wish that… things could go back to normal…"_

'Normal' shouldn't be something he used to describe his life. He was a Heroic Spirit given a human body once again by pure chance. Sometimes, he even got nightmares about him killing everyone with a sadistic grin on his face. Those nightmares, however rare, were so full of _hate_ towards everything in the entire world. He had the taint of Angra Mainyu to thank for those. At other times he dreamt about his old home and the good times, however few, he had had there. But despite that, he loved his new life. After the Holy Grail War, his life had become a peaceful one. There were no more Angels or Servants to fight as he went to school and made friends. There were no hidden agendas as he went with Sola-Ui to do things that made him feel like he was part of a family. There was no disgust or self-loathing when he asked Taiga to go out with him and she said yes. For once in his entire, depressing life he felt… normal.

But since the start of this new war, the bad dreams had become more frequent. He dreamed of Third Impact, everyone he loved turning into primordial soup. He dreamed of Rei, and her either getting killed by an enemy Servant or dying in his arms. He dreamt of Maiya, Shirou, Luvia, and everyone else getting crushed when he made a wrong step with Unit-01. And he dreamt of Taiga, dying as he choked the life out of her on a plain-white beach with red water like he did with Asuka.

"Mmm… Shinji-kun… don't leave yet…" A soft voice muttered as two slim arms wrapped around his waist.

But not tonight. He dreamt of nothing tonight, because she was there with him. He looked at Taiga, laying on the bed as the sheets covered her form. Shinji gently touched her head and gave a small smile.

He couldn't let these feelings get to him. He had to protect the things he loved.

Even if it cost him his life.

**_Elsewhere (Einzbern Manor):_**

Illyasviel sat on a small stone bench that was by the back entrance of the castle, the ceiling overhead shielding her from the rain as Berserker stood beside her. She watched the flowers shake from the raindrops yet glisten in what little light came from the clouds. _"I never really paid any attention to them but…"_ Her eyes then drooped a bit before she continued her thought. _"…they really are beautiful."_

The reunion with her Onii-san hadn't really gone as she had hoped. Berserker had been torn to shreds in a matter of seconds by _Avenger_ of all Servants, Shirou still lived thanks to the timely intervention of that _thing_, and finally Shirou had implanted seeds of doubt in her mind.

Could Kiritsugu really have tried to save her? She remembered times when her old home had been empty, her grandfather saying that they were going on a training exercise while an annoyed expression was on his face. And she remembered the utterly happy look her father had given her when she had last seen him. She had thought for years that Emiya Shirou and Hisau Maiya had made him abandon her, but now… she was not so sure.

What if her grandfather had been lying to her for all these years? What if her father really had loved her, and tried to come for her only to be blocked by grandfather himself?

_"…I miss him."_ Illyasviel thought to herself as a tear began to fall from her eye. _"I miss him and mama…"_

"Are you alright Master?" Berserker asked as he looked at Illyasviel with a worried expression on his face. "Is something wrong?"

Illyasviel looked at her Servant, his sad blue eyes, handsome face, and flowing brown hair. Last night… the Master-Servant connection had given her even more dreams of his past life. She had seen a man whose time had been short, yet he had still tried to make Berserker feel better about himself. He had died alone so that Berserker would not feel responsible for it.

She had seen a robot woman who had fought because she loved it, because if she was going to die, she wanted to die doing the thing she loved.

She had seen a dark copy of Berserker, who had revealed that Berserker was created to destroy every living thing on the world. He hated Berserker because he was better than him, and wanted to destroy Berserker to prove that he was superior. Illyasviel could tell… that Berserker's dark reflection, Dio, simply wanted to prove himself in a dying world.

There had also been a woman who had lived in a monolithic building. She had made it her life's work to build a bell, so that people could still find beauty in the world. Even though the real bell had sounded terrible, Illyasviel could still hear a melodic chiming sound in her heart.

It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard in her life.

And finally, before the dream had stopped, she had seen a beautiful red-haired robot woman with a voice that seemed to be from an angel. Despite the fact that she was dying, she wanted to give everyone hope through her songs. Her last song, one that had been defended by Berserker himself from robots who wanted to destroy that hope forever, had brought tears to Illyasviel's eyes even in her sleep.

Berserker's world was a depressing one, from what she had seen. It was dying, with almost no hope in it. Yet, Berserker kept meeting people who found a purpose in life. Who found a reason to keep on living despite their ultimate fate. And even though he was the one who caused everything, he wanted to make it right and was _sad_ for killing Luna, whatever she was.

"…What is your opinion on death?" Illyasviel asked softly, making Berserker take a step back in shock. "Please answer."

"…" Berserker said nothing as he looked at the flowers once more. After a moment of silence, he said, "Death… is something that is necessary. If people were to live forever, they wouldn't be truly living life. They would simply exist and take that very existence for granted."

Illyasviel nodded in agreement. She had never understood why _anyone_ would want to live forever. Sooner or later, they would grow bored of life and regret every doing the action that resulted in making them immortal.

"And the people who die… they are like a fire." Berserker continued, making Illyasviel blink. "They burn brightly, like a torch in the darkness."

"But sooner or later, they will go out…" Illyasviel muttered as she looked down. _"Just like me…"_

"I know." Berserker replied, making Illyasviel look at him with shock. "That is what makes them so beautiful."

_"Death… is beautiful huh…?"_ Illyasviel thought to herself before muttering, "Berserker? I-I would like to be alone for a bit please. Make me dinner while you wait for me."

Berserker nodded before heading back inside the castle. As soon as the door closed, Illyasviel looked at the blue flowers. She had… never thought of death like that. She simply thought of it as an inevitable fate that she wanted to delay. But… death being beautiful? Her being like a brightly burning flame? She had never thought of it like that. Before she even knew what she was doing, words flowed through her mouth.

_"We are free…. Like water flows…"_

**_Elsewhere (Mitsuduri Residence):_**

Waver sighed as he dried his body with a towel inside of the bathroom before cracking his neck. Last night had been… troubling to say the least. He and Rider had felt the energy generated by Lancer's Noble Phantasm, and it had taken some convincing for Rider not to get involved in the fight. After all, one less Servant thanks to a battle between two was better for them. Plus, Waver knew that Lancer would have wiped the floor with whatever Servant was against her.

Or so he thought.

Rider had told him this morning that he had not felt any Servant fall in battle, which meant that Lancer had most likely faced Berserker last night. _"Of course. That thing wouldn't be able to completely destroy Berserker's entire body."_ Waver thought to himself with a frown. _"Judging from what I have seen, Berserker can heal himself from almost everything. Even shooting him in the brain did not work. Meaning that everything must be completely disintegrated in order for Berserker to die."_

Easy enough. If he and Rider performed Giga Drill Breaker on Berserker, Berserker would be killed instantly like the Berserker from the Fourth Holy Grail War. _"And Berserker is the most dangerous opponent in the War, so perhaps me and Rider should go after him instead of Caster." _Waver thought to himself as he slipped on his _Red Hot Chili Peppers_ t-shirt, underwear, and jeans. Once he looked in the mirror, he sighed before muttering, "God, I need a smoke. All this stress is giving me a headache…" Turning on his heel, Waver opened the door and…

"EEK!" Ayako shouted as she fell on her butt. Waver blinked in confusion as Ayako's skin seemed to get even redder and redder while her body shook. "W-Waver-san! I-I was just… You were taking too long, so I-I…" She then shot up like a rocket before thrusting a bottle of water into Waver's chest shouting, "I-I got you some water, so I… um… _Iwasn'tpeekingBYE!"_

Ayako then bolted away, leaving a confused Waver holding a bottle of water in his hands.

_"What was that about?"_ Waver thought before the last sentence hit him.

Ayako had been peeping on him.

While he had been in the shower.

_"Great. Just great."_ Waver thought with a groan as he walked towards the living room. _"Just what I need. A girl with her hormones out of control having a crush on me. Like I don't get enough crap from Cristina and my female students…" _Waver then stopped and looked out the window for a second. It was still raining, apparently. "I freaking hate the rain." Waver muttered as he plopped himself on the couch. "Nothing good ever comes out of it."

"Comes out of what?" Rider's voice asked, making Waver look over his shoulder to see Rider in his casual clothes.

"Rain. It's a bad omen for me. Means something bad will happen today." Waver muttered before sighing. "Kamina once told me that it's just a stupid superstition, but I still can't stop this feeling that something bad is going to happen. I feel like smoking whenever I think about it…"

"Then don't." Was Rider's simple reply before he walked over to the TV, turned it on, and then turned on Ayako's PS3 before inserting a disk. "Thinking about these things isn't worth it. Whatever happens, we will face it when it comes. Worrying about it won't do any good." Rider then grinned at Waver before saying, "Now let's just relax. I wanna see this 'Cowboy Bebop' show since I heard it was good."

Waver nodded as a familiar jazz beat began to fill the air and Rider sat down beside him. He was right. Worrying over things doesn't do anyone good except for causing stress. _"But still, I can't shake this feeling…"_

_"I think it's time to blow this thing, get everybody and their stuff together. Okay 3, 2, 1, let's jam!"_

**_Elsewhere (Dreamscape):_**

_"Where… am I…?" Bazette asked as she found herself in a burning city, the stench of dead bodies filling the air. She saw a little red-haired boy with a dead look in his eyes as he wandered through this little piece of Hell on Earth. Then the boy fell. Bazette would have marked the boy as good as dead, if a man had not approached his body and taken out a heavenly glowing sheath from his body. "Is that…" Bazette muttered before her eyes widened. "…Emiya Kiritsugu?" The Magus killer then put the sheath into the boy's body, and after a moment the boy began to move. The Magus Killer then cried tears of joy, now knowing that the boy would live._

_The scene had melted away to show the now grown boy and a tired man, one that Bazette almost didn't recognize as the boogieman of the Clock Tower. Kiritsugu told the boy of his dream to become a protector of justice, a superhero, and the boy instantly declared that he would take up this dream._

_After that, Emiya Kiritsugu left the land of the living._

_The boy grew, holding onto his borrowed dream of becoming a protector of justice. He helped people any way he could, all the while enjoying the small close-knit family he had with his older-sister figure and the beautiful girl he saw as his friend._

_However, this routine and peaceful life would not last._

_The boy found himself in a war between Magi. He himself had summoned a beautiful swordswoman as his Servant. Was this his chance? His chance to become a hero? He entered the war hoping to save lives. Hoping that he would be able to fulfill his dream._

_But reality was a cruel mistress._

_A monster, a Shadow began to appear. It killed civilians and Servants alike. And its appearance brought forth an Assassin from the depths of Hell to continue its genocide against the Servants. The boy's swordswoman fell to them, and was revived as a dark reflection of her original self. The boy found out that the beautiful girl that he now saw in a romantic light had been both violated by a person he once saw as a friend and that she was the very Shadow killing everyone. He had two choices: protect her and abandon his dream or kill her to continue with his dream. He chose to protect both the girl and everyone._

_This was perhaps the worst choice of his life._

_His wish to both protect the girl he loved and his ideal brought forth a series of events too tragic for words. The girl transformed into a reincarnation of the Root of all Evil, and intended to kill everyone to bring forth the *****. A version of the boy's future, one that looked so much like Avenger, fell to the dark reincarnation of the swordswoman, but not before teaching the boy his technique. His half-sister and her Servant fell to a golden king that intended to use her heart as a bargaining chip for the corrupted girl. He was devoured instead. Seeing no other option, the boy left to confront the girl. However, he was stopped by both his former Servant and the Assassin from Hell. In a battle that felt like it lasted for days, the boy killed both his former Servant and the Assassin at the cost of his own left eye. He went to the corrupted girl who, in a last moment of sanity, begged him to kill her before hugging him._

_He was now presented with two options again: refuse to kill her and let the world drown in its own sins, or kill her to save the world._

_This time, he chose the latter._

_He kept the girl's ribbon as a reminder to never falter from his path. That to do so would to insult her very memory._

_He went around the world, to various battlefields, aiding armies and destroying countries to protect the world. Not everyone understood him. The world feared him because they did not understand. Magi and human armies united to put an end to him. He killed many former friends, but continued onwards. He knew that, as long as the world had a single enemy to unite against, the world would find a peace it had never known before._

_After many years, he died. Noble Phantasms taken from their vaults and bullets riddled his body. His final resting place was on top of a hill, the ribbon of the girl he loved and killed in his hand, overlooking the sun setting._

_He made a contract with the world. That he would serve it in exchange for the chance to continue saving lives. It was all… for her._

_It was all for Sakura._

**_Reality:_**

Bazette opened her eyes and saw her room's ceiling before muttering, "Avenger… is that Emiya kid?" That did not make any sense. _None_ of those events had happened. And a contract with the world itself? Did that mean… "He is a Counter Guardian?"

"Yes I am."

"Avenger!" Bazette shouted before she tried to get up, only for a sharp pain to go through entire body. "Gh!" Bazette grit out before she laid on her bed once again. Whatever had just happened, it felt like thousands of red-hot needles were impaling her entire body. Was whatever that bullet was still affecting her?

"Don't move. You're still healing, and I can't let you die. I don't have the Independent Action for it." Avenger spoke up while looking down at Bazette with his right eye. "You are very lucky I found that list of healers nearby. And even luckier that she was able to fix you up. Hell, I'm surprised that you are even awake right now. Thought you would be asleep for another day or two."

"Avenger…" Bazette muttered as she looked at her Servant. Something was wrong with her. She couldn't feel something that she knew was still there. "…I can't feel my legs…"

"…The healer was able to completely fix your internal organs, but was unable to fix other things." Avenger explained as he sat down on a chair. "Your spine is permanently shattered and your Circuits are fried. If you completely recover, you won't be able to use magic or walk ever again."

"…What?" Bazette asked softly as she felt tears come to her eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to win this war, even without the Servant she intended to get, and fulfill her lifelong dream. And now… she couldn't even be called a Magus anymore and was a cripple to boot. _"Why? Why did this happen to me?"_

"You think that's bad? I now don't have a Prana supply, and none of the Masters are free." Avenger said with a sigh. "This has caused all kinds of trouble for me. You shouldn't have let your guard around the kid."

"You think I don't know that?" Bazette spat out hatefully. "I should have taken him out first, I know that! But there isn't anything I can do now! I'm a goddamn _cripple_ and you can't fight or else we will have to use human souls in order to supply you with your fucking Prana!"

"Wow, trouble between the newlyweds?"

Instantly, Avenger summoned Kanshou and Bakuya before turning to see Kotomine Kirei smirking at them both. "Now, now Avenger, is that any way to treat the Church Moderator and the one who is going to give you an offer too good to refuse?"

"Kirei?" Bazette asked in shock as she turned her head to see the priest. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Giving the readers a heavy dose of drama of course." Was Kirei's simple reply before he turned to Avenger. "I actually know of a Master who is available: me."

"What!?" Bazette shouted out, now beginning to sweat in fear. "What are you talking about Kirei?"

"Why would I even _think_ of aligning myself to you?" Avenger asked, only for Kirei to continue smirking.

"Oh my, you mean you haven't realized it? There is no one you could turn to even if a Master became available." Kirei said simply. "After what you did with Berserker, Illyasviel would make him kill you on sight. Kuzuki does not have any Circuits, and you cannot access the Leyline like Caster can. Luvia, Sakura, and Shirou would never align themselves to you, and I know for a fact that you would kill Shirou at the first given opportunity. Also Archer would never allow you anywhere near Rin or even come close to trusting you if you stated your intentions. Not to mention that Waver already has _Simon the Digger_ as Rider, so why would he even need you to win?"

Avenger growled in frustration as he glared at Kirei. He had taken those into account, but wanted to believe that there was a slimmer of chance that Waver or Rin would be able to support him. Now though…

"How can you be a Master Kirei?" Bazette shouted out. "You haven't been one…"

"…since the Fourth Holy Grail War." Kirei finished, making Bazette's eyes widen. "What? I never told you? Guess that TIM forgot to mention that in our summarized 'history' together."

Avenger narrowed his eye. This Kirei was different from the one he knew. _"Adding drama for the 'readers'? Summarized history?" _Avenger thought to himself before he muttered, "So, Deadpool really did drive you insane."

"Insane in the membrane." Kirei agreed with a nod. "And since you haven't seen Gilgamesh around, you do know that it means that he is alive instead right? That means you now have an almost unkillable partner to team up with during your battles with the Servants."

Bazette felt her eyes widen in shock. A Servant that was still roaming the Earth after the Fourth War? _"This is bad!" _"Avenger, don't do it!"

"So how about it Avenger?" Kirei asked before stretching out his right hand. "Partners?"

"…" Avenger looked at the hand for a few moments with a narrowed eye. He had few options, and with this his only available one… _"It's not your world anyway. And you can use _Rule Breaker _anytime you want."_ "Fine." Avenger muttered before he moved to the side. "I'm only doing this out of necessity. If I get the opportunity to be free, I will kill you without hesitation."

"Fair enough." Kirei said as he began to move towards Bazette. "Glad we could come up with this arrangement _partner._"

"Just get on with it." Avenger growled out with clenched fists. He hated this with all his heart, but it was necessary to continue performing to his full strength in this war.

_"No, this can't be happening!"_ Bazette thought to herself as she breathed heavily in fear. Her Servant was abandoning her for the opportunity to be with a Master that could supply him with the Prana he needed. She was useless to him. He probably would not even blink if Kirei killed her, so long as he had a Master with Prana. Bazette's breath stopped as Kirei looked over her.

"Forgive me for being cliché…" Kirei said smoothly with a sadistic smirk on his face as three Black Keys came to life in his right hand. "…but this will hurt only for a second."

Bazette then saw blood squirt everywhere and a sharp pain coming from her left arm before she mercifully passed out.

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake- ****It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"Alright! Hot off the presses, the Taiga dojo starts now!" Taiga shouted, dressed up in a mini 'newsie' uniform and carrying what seemed to be a stack of newspapers.

"Um, Sensei. What are those for?" Illyasviel asked curiously while Taiga simply grinned.

"My student, even though we are the main stars of this fanfic, we must also support the newcomers." Taiga explained before showing off a newspaper that had a simple headline.

_Lupin the Third: Assassin?_

"…huh?" Illyasviel muttered in confusion before Taiga gave the 'audience' a thumbs-up.

"That's right my fans, TIM has made a new fanfic while bored!" Taiga announced enthusiastically. "The main star in this is Lupin the Third, and the title of the story is _Just An Unorthidox Thief_, so go and check it out before leaving a review! Now, tell them the title of the next chapter my student!"

"R-right!" Illyasviel yelled before looking at the 'camera'. "Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'The Real Folk Blues Part Two!" Illyasviel then blinked in confusion. "Another Cowboy Bebop reference?"

"Check it out!" Taiga yelled before throwing the newspaper into the air.

**Note-**** Yo! It's TIM here starting off your day with a new chapter of Stay Away! I hope you guys liked the chapter, because I poured so much drama into it even I am surprised with myself! Now, what will this new development mean you may ask? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out! Also, this chap was betad by Sir Godot yet again. Thanks a lot for your work man. **

**Now, do not forget to check out my challenges on my profile page and look at _Fate:Zero Sense'_s TV Tropes page! Add on whatever you think belongs there!**

**Also remember to check out the FIRST Lupin the Third-Fate crossover EVER and written by yours truly, '_Just An Unorthodox Thief'_! I promise you guys it will become something great!**

**And review! Reviews are motivation to make more chapters, so the more reviews the better! Get reviewing you lazy bums!**

**…Please? **


	15. The Real Folk Blues Part Two

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

"It's all my fault…" Aoi muttered while sitting on the couch in the living room, her hands covering her face. Her voice was hoarse from crying and the makeup on her face was being washed away by her tears. It had been hours since the 'reunion' with Sakura, and the revelations that had taken place during that time had done their damage. "I should have never let her…" Aoi rambled before her sentence was broken up into tearful sobs.

Why had she not said anything on that fateful day? Was it because she had trusted Tokiomi's judgment in the matter? _"No, it was because you were too much of a coward to say anything."_ A snide voice in the back of her mind sneered. And Aoi could not find a reason to argue with it.

She could have said _something_ when Tokiomi had stated his intentions for Sakura. She could have asked him if it was truly the only way. Sakura was her _daughter_ for Christ's sake! As a mother, she should have argued with Tokiomi. She could have shouted at the man, pleaded with him to find another solution. But no, she had simply followed his judgment. And now Sakura _hated_ them with all her heart for the horrible acts that Zouken, the man they had practically given Sakura to with a bow tied around her, had done in order to make her a 'strong magus'. _"Did Tokiomi know about this and just not care?"_ Aoi thought to herself as she continued to cry. _"Did he know what Zouken would do to Sakura, and did he not tell me because it would be too much trouble?"_

Aoi did not know whether she truly wanted the answer, and somewhat hoped it would never come to her.

Aoi had never understood why Kariya had seemed so horrified with her and angry at Tokiomi for giving away Sakura until this day. Aoi sometimes thought it was about the very principle of giving away one's own flesh and blood. But now… she could understand perfectly. She knew why, and for some reason she could hardly blame him now. _"He loved me, and did not say anything to protect me from what happened to Sakura…"_

That very fact was just too tragic for words.

Rin watched her mother from the doorway, her face now having a sullen look on it. Sakura's revelation had hit her hard in more places than one. It was more than just a punch in the gut for her; it was a stab through her very heart. It was true; she was guilty for never having tried to talk to Sakura for anything other than school-related topics. But she had never thought of how Sakura felt about it. She had never seen the broken girl beneath the friendly exterior.

Archer opened the fridge behind her, getting a bottle of milk and taking a quick chug. "Man, what a day…" Archer then sighed as he sat himself down on a kitchen chair. "I mean, all this stuff is just a lot to handle, you know?"

"How can you be so carefree Archer?" Rin asked coldly as she turned to look at her Servant. "How can you, after hearing all that was said?"

"…" Archer said nothing as he took another sip of his milk before saying, "The world is a dark place Rin. I've seen a lot of things while I was alive, so this doesn't really faze me the way that it should."

"You mean when you were just a hitman for the Chronos Organization?" Rin spat out, making Archer look at her in shock before sighing and scratching the back of his head.

"So, you saw my past through your dreams, huh?" Archer sat down the bottle of milk before looking Rin square in the eye. "I killed a lot of people before I met Saiya, Rin. A lot of them weren't bad guys, but a good number of them were. I don't like how I used to live my life, but what happened, happened. It does not mean that I am not pissed about this. Your mother and your dad have a lot of blame on their shoulders for what happened to your sister…"

"…They could not have known…" Rin muttered while she averted her eyes, only for Archer to shake his head.

"Your dad was a Magus, Rin. He must have known what would happen to your sister when he gave her to that Matou family. Especially their magecraft. I don't know about your mom, but your dad must have known something." Archer stated matter-of-factly, making Rin look down to the ground.

It was true. Her father was a well-respected Magus and the overseer of the other families. That very role implied that he must have known at least a tidbit of what the Matou family needed to do in order to perform magecraft. And if not the specifics, Tokiomi should at least have had some hints about said specifics.

She had never thought of her father in such an… uncaring light in her entire life. She had always viewed her father as a role model, and someone she had to win the Holy Grail War for. Because that is what both he and the last Archer had died trying to do. She thought that her father had sent away Sakura with the best of intentions. But now…

…she didn't know what to think of him anymore.

**_Elsewhere (Dreamscape):_**

_Souichirou had no knowledge of where he was at the moment. Judging from his surroundings, he was at a construction site of sorts. There were pickaxes, hammers, and other tools to break up stone and dirt everywhere. However, the workers themselves…_

_"Children." Souichirou stated sourly while narrowing his eyes. "They are using child laborers." In his former occupation as an Assassin, he had been exposed to many undesirable parts of the human world. However, despite his pretty much apathetic attitude towards life in general, using children as either soldiers or laborers was crossing a line for him. He then noticed a young red-haired girl. "Caster?"_

_The young girl, despite the sorrows presented in this hellish 'project' her captors made her do manual labor on, made friends with her fellow 'inmates'. She was able to retain her sanity with them, otherwise the strong girl would have broken years before. The most prominent out of her group of friends was a blue-haired boy with a strange tattoo over and above his right eye. One who she could consider her closest friend, and perhaps someone she loved._

_But this small happiness would not last._

_Her friends' attempt to escape this hellish life failed miserably. As a result, she lost her right eye due to the cruel tortures the guards placed on her. The blue-haired boy attempted to save her, but was caught soon after. Angered, the girl staged a rebellion that resulted in one of her friends losing his jaw and an elderly man who she saw as a mentor dying to protect her. Her abilities in magic finally revealed themselves in her sorrow, and she defeated the guards holding her and her fellow slaves prisoner. But her blue-haired friend became twisted during his imprisonment. Believing himself to be possessed by an evil spirit, he killed the helpless guards and decided to continue the construction of the tower much to the girl's horror and forced her to promise to never return or reveal the location of the tower._

_The girl ran, and was discovered by her mentor's companions. She joined them in an instant, donning armor to hide her pain and gaining an artificial right eye that she could never cry from, for she had shed half of her tears during her former life._

_Among the magic guild Fairy Tail, she gained family and comrades. She was more than willing to die for them on multiple occasions, for they were her only source of happiness since her time as a slave. The girl grew into a woman, and she went on many adventures with a boy who was as wild as an inferno, a girl who could summon many magical and wondrous beasts, and a boy with ice powers who somehow found no problem with stripping (Not that she minded, since the usual taboos of boys and girls meant little to her thanks to her time as a slave)._

_However, her past came back to haunt her. Her former friends returned into her life, intending to sacrifice her to resurrect the dark spirit that supposedly possessed the blue-haired boy. Her comrades and one former enemy joined her in raiding her former prison, and one by one they defeated her old friends until she was forced to face the blue-haired boy, now a deranged man with incredible power. The battle was long and hard, and it cost the life of her friend that proclaimed his love for her in his final moments, but they had won. For the first time in her life since her slave days, she cried from both eyes._

_More adventures followed, and her bonds with her comrades only grew even more. Bonds were reformed for some, while new ones came into being. But that all changed, when she and her guild went to their ceremonial island._

_What started out as a simple competition soon degraded into a fight for their lives against a former master of the guild, who recruited seven 'God Slayers' to fight them. They wished to awaken the evil mage known as 'Zeref' by any means necessary. She fought against a God-Slaying child first, but was forced to flee after her comrade skilled in water magic decided to fight the child instead. She then faced a stern man who had power over plants and brutally defeated both her former rival and her former rival's sister._

_The brutal battle that followed was one of Caster's greatest. The man pushed her to her limits and forced her to use all the armors in her arsenal and her greatest technique._

_But it was not enough._

_The man forced a long, sharp vine to impale her when she least expected it. It ripped through her heart and displayed it for her to see while the man simply shook his head and walked off._

_As her eyes began to close forever, Caster made one simple wish. To return to this exact moment and defeat the man before he and his comrades could harm anymore of her guild... her family…_

**_Reality:_**

Souichirou opened his eyes before shifting his body to get rid of the stiffness and standing up from the couch that he had taken a nap on.

"Are you well Master?" Caster asked as she looked at him with a worried expression on her face. "You were asleep for several hours."

"…I am fine, Caster." Souichirou muttered before looking at his right arm, now mostly healed thanks to many, _many_ years of similar experiences during his training.

That vision… it was Caster's life. It did not take a genius to figure that out. Caster's life had been one of both tragedy and comradeship. Her hardships brought her to a group that took her in as part of their pseudo-family, and despite many heartbreaks (and one supposed death), she had seemed to move on. She had never felt empty like he had, for she had bonds with all her comrades while he only saw associates during his life as an assassin.

Even though they were different, he felt… something for her. Despite their short time together, he no longer felt apathy for life in general. These past few days actually held a form of meaning to him. And that night… even though he did not show it… it was special to him.

Caster continued to look at her Master before sighing in slight frustration. Still, he held an emotionless gaze and voice towards everything and anything that occurred. She had never truly dealt with a person this… _apathetic_ before. Sure, Jellal had held a degree of it when she had last seen him alive, but it had never been this bad. He held no emotion towards _anything_, no matter how horrible or ridiculous. _"Whathas occurred in your past that made you like this?"_ Caster thought to herself while gazing at her Master. "What is on your mind Master?"

"…" Souichirou did not really know what to talk about right now. After all, he was never much of a conversation starter. If anything he was pulled into conversations rather than initiating them. But there was something that needed to be addressed… "Have you come to a decision on Emiya and Edelfelt's offer?"

_That_ made Caster scrunch up her face in thought. The offer for an alliance to prevent the Grail from ever forming seemed to be ridiculous, all things considered. After all, weren't all the Servants summoned because they desired the Grail in one form or another? Why would they carelessly throw away their wishes? _"The tale about this… 'Angra Mainyu'… is sound considering its legend…"_ Caster thought to herself before sighing. _"But truly, who would have been foolish enough to summon a GOD of DARKNESS considering the potential consequences? However, what if it IS true? Are we really fighting for a prize that will pervert our greatest desire?"_

What would a wish like hers bring, if she wished upon a corrupted Grail? Would she come back to life on the moment she died, dirtied and corrupted, and destroy the world? Or would the Grail do something worse, and kill her guildmates as the price for returning to life? There were so many possibilities with that source of information, but just as many holes. Who could say for certain that her Master's students weren't lying to him? Trying to make her doubt her role and then stab them both in the back when they least expected it? And how did they acquire this information in the first place? "No, we won't form an alliance with them." Caster declared while closing her eyes. "However, we will see for ourselves if this information is accurate before coming to a decision on what to do about the Grail."

If the Grail was truly corrupted… then she would destroy it herself. She would not go against the law of Fairy Tail to grant her wish. It would go against everything that she and her comrades stood for.

Souichirou nodded in response. After all, he had no desire for the Grail. Caster was the one who wished to acquire it, and thus he would help her to his greatest ability.

He would help the one who had brought a form of meaning to his life.

A knock on the door disturbed them both, making Souichirou blink before walking to the front entrance. When it rained this much, no one bothered to visit the temple usually.

He opened the door to see the smiling face of the local priest, Kotomine Kirei.

"Hello there, Kuzuki Souichirou." Kirei said with a smile before walking into Soichirou's home, not even bothering to be invited in. "How's your near-dead religion doing today? No, don't answer that. I already know."

Souichirou narrowed his eyes at Kriei, who did not even bother to take off his shoes as per Japanese custom. Kirei always showed little respect for such things, and never bothered to hide any jokes he made towards the temple's expense.

Even though Souichirou had the suspicion that the priest did not care for his own religion either.

"You are the overseer of the war." Caster stated, making herself known as she walked in front of Kirei with narrowed eyes. "What is your business here?"

"What, no cosplay? Or should I say 'fashion'?" Kirei joked, making Caster's eyes widen in surprise. How did he know…? "Anyway, I'm here to give you guys a little warning."

"Why would you give us a warning? It is against the rules of the Holy Grail War for the overseer to become actively involved, unless something catastrophic happens." Caster stated while her hands clenched into fists. Something about this man didn't feel right. "And I know from the television that you were able to come up with an excuse for those two massive Noble Phantasms with little trouble."

_"Ah, so that's what that monster and robot were."_ Souichirou thought, the curiosity towards that strange day now satisfied. After all, he could tell that those things were definitely _not_ special effects. There were no special effects _that_ detailed and flawless.

"Oh don't worry; I'm not aligning myself with you or anything." Kirei said with a laugh before continuing to smile at Caster. "Consider this… an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen of Fuyuki City."

"…" Caster didn't like this man _at all_. All her sense were screaming at her to make him leave peacefully or with force if needed. But whatever information he wished to share might be important, so… "What is it?"

"Oh nothing, just that someone made a replica of one your swords and used it to murder the asshole half-sibling of Assassin's Master." Kirei said wistfully, making Caster's eyes widen in shock. "I don't know why they would care since he was an extreme asshole, but it seems like Saber's Master and Assassin's Master are pretty pissed and want to kick the crap out of you. However, I _do_ know that the actual culprit is Assassin himself."

_"Matou Shinji is dead?"_ Souichirou thought to himself in relative shock. Sure, the boy was… a _handful_ and his personality had much to be desired for, but for him to die as a result of this war was shocking.

"Why would Assassin wish to kill his own Master's sibling?" Caster asked in shock. "What purpose is there in…?"

"Why, to finally have an excuse to kill a Servant of course." Kirei replied with a smirk. "None of the Servants have died, as I think you may have noticed. The Grail would never form unless _some_ die, so…"

"Assassin is using Saber, Lancer, their Masters, and his own Master to acquire the Grail for himself." Caster concluded with narrowed eyes. While she remembered Assassin to be a fairly disruptive and loud Servant, she would have never thought he would be this manipulative. Then again, she had met many evil men and women whose personalities had not matched their intentions.

"Oh yes, and they're coming tonight, so be prepared." Kirei finished before turning around and walking past Souichirou, who narrowed his eyes at him. "Peace be with you from God and whatever…"

"I thank you for this information, overseer." Caster said truthfully before looking at Souichirou. "We must prepare for the battle, Master." With a nod, Souichirou followed Caster but not before closing the door behind Kirei.

Kirei mearly chuckled before heading towards the many, many steps leading away from the temple thinking, _"Too easy…"_

**_Elsewhere (Dreamscape):_**

_Sakura had no sense of where she was, nor did she have any recollection of time. All she saw in front of her was the inside of a Japanese home. Dangerous weapons of all shapes and sizes were hanging from the walls and bags of money were on the floor around a giant bed, where a blue, haired woman with a star tattoo on her cheek smiled as she held a small baby in her arms, its eyes closed as she petted the baby's spiky blue hair. A white-haired man who had his mouth covered by a scarf and had the same hairstyle as Assassin looked coldly at the child, seemingly having no emotion that any father should have._

_She did not need to say it. Sakura knew that she was experiencing Assassin's memories through their connection._

_However, rather than experiencing childhood like any normal infant should, his family and all his relatives were slain except for him and a distant cousin. Apparently, Assassin's family had committed many crimes ranging from robbery to murder. However, their consumption of human souls brought upon their destruction by the Shinigami-sama himself. His forces utterly annihilated the Star Clan, and because he and his cousin were young they were spared._

_He was raised among Shinigami-sama's own forces in Death City, being trained to hunt monsters like the ones his former family had become. Despite delving into this profession with fervor, Assassin felt a form of… emptiness. He still missed his parents, despite knowing what they had done. And he yearned for companionship, despite many people fearing and hating him for being related to the Star Clan._

_To hide this pain, he put on a mask. A mask that showed him to the world as an overconfident kid with an ego that could reach the sun. He always boasted, hoping that someone would give him the attention he sorely desired and needed. But sadly, people only saw him as an annoyance at best._

_Then she came into his life. Tsubaki, one who saw his boasts as more than mere annoyances (even though he was a pain in the ass to her at times). She… believed in him. That very fact meant the world to him. So, he wished to prove his greatness to both her and what few friends he had. However, he had worn the mask for so long it had now become a part of him. He screwed up more times than he would like to count. One time, he had the chance to achieve his and Tsubaki's dream at the cost of a child's life._

_He would not take it. It would go against everything he stood for._

_His friendships with others grew after that. He became closer friends with a silver-haired boy who could transform into a red scythe and the smart pig-tailed girl that wielded him. He became close companions with the son of Shinigami-sama (who was obsessed with symmetry) and two city girls who, like him, formerly wore masks to hide their pain (not that they knew that he knew that fact). They had adventures together, fighting against witches and evil spirits alike._

_But then, the Kishin awakened._

_A god of madness who was only a fraction close to becoming a being like Angra Mainyu had returned to the world thanks to the manipulations of an evil witch. Her son, a pink-haired boy (or was it a girl? He could never tell.) with black blood and a strange sentient being in him became friends with them. Once again, it would not last. The boy/girl was manipulated into going against them by his/her own mother, and his/her very memories of them were wiped so that he/she may never betray the witch again. He was confronted by the samurai who guarded the witch girl once more, and was soundly defeated by him. With his confidence shaken, Assassin began to become weaker and weaker as time went on. After he defeated and killed the samurai, he left the girl he was guarding in the care of one of his friends. He had matured since facing the samurai, but the tragic events kept going on and on…_

_His friend Death the Kid became trapped in a magical tome known as the Book of Ebon, forcing Assassin and his friends to delve into each of its chapters in search of him. It started from changing into a girl in the Lust chapter (or a boy in Tsubaki's case, who stayed like that the longest, proving she was the most lustful of the entire group) to the chapter of Wrath, containing the… thing… known as Excalibur. Finally, they ended up in the chapter of Greed which contained Kid, and saw that his friend had changed dramatically._

_Kid had become insane. He wished to destroy the world so that existence could surpass symmetry, and stated that Assassin was too big for the world and thus needed to be eliminated. This fueled Assassin's ego a bit, and thus they fought underwater. While he could still breath, fighting his friend became harder and harder for Assassin. His attacks were repelled easily, and Kid showed no mercy. Before he could hit Kid with his technique, _Soul Menace_, Kid dodged…_

…_and kicked Assassin in the windpipe, crushing it._

_Assassin could barely act, not even noticing Tsubaki crying out for Kid who, in a maddened glee, killed her too. That… changed something in Assassin. He wanted to scream in anger. He wanted to shout, curse the world, the witch Medusa, and everything else that caused him and his friends pain. But his crushed throat prevented that, and all he could do was watch as Kid left the portal to meet their waiting friends._

_As Assassin began to leave the world, he wished that he could return. So that none of the events that had lead up to that moment would happen. That he could lead a good life with his friends and Tsubaki, back when things were not so complicated…_

**_Reality:_**

"Come on Sakura! Wake up already!" Assassin's loud voice echoed through her ears as she felt her body shake. She opened her eyes to see Assassin over her with an extremely worried expression on his face. He was apparently clutching her collar as he shook her body, Tsubaki staring at both of them with a horrified expression on her face. "Come on! Hear my awesome voice and gaze at my face, that way you'll be awake for sure!"

"BLACK*STAR! STOP!" Tsubaki yelled in fear as she put her hands on Assassin's shoulders and attempted to pull him away from Sakura. "She's awake! Sakura is fine!"

"What? Really?" Assassin asked before noticing Sakura's opened eyes. "Awesome! I knew my brightness could wake you up!"

"A-Assassin?" Sakura stuttered out as Assassin let go of her collar and got off her. "H-How long was I…?"

"About three hours Sakura." Tsubaki replied with a worried expression on her face. "You fell unconscious right when we entered the house. Shirou, his mother, and Luvia have been pretty worried."

"They were?" Sakura asked, looking down in shame. She had not meant to cause this much stress on her pseudo-family and friends for what had happened. Speaking of which… "Where are they right now?"

"Ah, that Shirou guy is arguing with Luvia about something. Maiya's taking that girl's side though." Assassin said casually with a wave of his hand, making Sakura's eyes widen. Her Sempai was arguing with Luvia and Maiya? Just what had happened while she was unconscious?

"It has something to do with Caster." Tsubaki explained, making Sakura turn to her. "Apparently, the Church overseer went into the temple for a bit before leaving. Maiya seems especially worried about this for some reason."

Sakura nodded a bit in understanding. Count on Maiya to be worried about Shirou in her own little way. She then looked at Assassin, who was smirking at her.

Assassin… she didn't know what to think of him right now. Before she had thought he was a loudmouth who, despite having a humongous ego, had some good redeeming qualities. Plus Tsubaki came with him, giving her someone calmer to talk to. But because of that dream, she knew that the ego he had was just part of a mask and that he was hurting inside from being killed by one of his best friends. That event had changed him in ways that Sakura could not begin to imagine. _"He is hurting inside… like me…"_ Sakura thought to herself before saying, "A-Assassin… I-I saw…"

"My past? Would have happened sooner or later I guess…" Assassin said, making Sakura's eyes widen. How did he know? As if reading her mind, he continued with, "You were kind of sweating a bit, meaning whatever you were dreaming must have been pretty strong, which is why I kinda tried to wake you up like that."

Tsubaki blinked a bit at her partner's assessment. Seriously, when did he get this _smart_? (Not that he wasn't stupid, but still…)

"Y-yes… I did see them…" Sakura replied while looking down a bit. "A-are you okay about…?"

"It bothers me; that much I'm certain of." Assassin replied while his face shifted into a serious expression. "I know Kid wasn't in his right mind, but getting killed by your friend sucks. But… I gotta handle this alone Sakura. It's up to me to handle this, just like it's up to you to decide whether or not you tell Shirou about your problem."

Sakura's eyes widened before she stuttered out, "Y-you didn't…?"

"Black*Star stopped me from doing it." Tsubaki answered while looking apologetically at her. "He wanted you to be the one to tell them all about your… past."

"…Thank you…" Sakura muttered, only for Assassin's face to shift into a cocky grin.

"No problem! After all, a big star like me would never be a jerk like that!" Assassin yelled out before turning on his heel. "Now come on! I wanna hear what those guys are talking about!"

Sakura slowly nodded before standing up from her futon and following both Tsubaki and Assassin out of the room. She could hear Shirou and the others arguing now.

"…Luvia please! I need you to stay here!" Shirou begged, only for Luvia's voice to gain a more forceful edge.

"Caster is powerful Shirou and has a wide range of abilities!" Luvia argued back before Sakura, Assassin, and Tsubaki walked into the kitchen, seeing Luvia and Shirou standing with their respective Servants beside them. Maiya was sitting at the table with a dark look on her face.

"It would be unwise to split up our forces like this Shirou…" Saber spoke up, making Shirou look down.

"I agree. It is logical that we are all present should Caster become hostile towards us." Lancer agreed, making Luvia nod her head.

"You see? They agree with me! So why…?" Luvia then noticed Sakura's presence, making her blink. "Oh Matou, you are awake."

"S-Sorry for worrying everyone." Sakura muttered, only for Shirou to shake his head.

"Just as long as you are okay." Shirou said with a sigh, ignoring Sakura's blush before looking at Maiya. "But I still need them here to keep you safe. If the one who is trying to frame Caster comes here…"

"You should not worry about me Shirou." Maiya said in a hard voice while looking Shirou directly in the eyes. "It is you who needs the protection."

"I don't care!" Shirou shouted, shocking everyone in the room. "I cannot put you in this kind of danger!" Shirou then looked at Luvia and gave her a pleading expression. "Luvia, please stay here and keep Maiya-san safe. Sakura and I will be fine. Besides, we have Saber and Assassin to keep us safe if things get ugly."

Luvia stared long and hard at Shirou and thought for what seemed like hours. Shirou was not moving from his stance. He wanted her to stay and protect his loved ones. While she was overjoyed that he put so much faith in her, it still put him at risk! Why would he do that? _"Calm down."_ Luvia thought to herself before letting out a small breath. _"Saber and Assassin are powerful enough to fight Caster. I should not worry this much, but then why do I feel frightened about him leaving without me?"_ "…Very well. But please…" Luvia felt her heart clench as she whispered out, "Be careful…"

"I will, do not worry." Shirou replied before turning to Sakura. "Now Sakura, you don't have to come if you do not want to. I mean, you must still feel sick, and Assassin can…"

"No, I want to come Sempai." Sakura denied with a shake of her head. "I should also be there to tell Caster someone wishes to frame her."

"Heh, awesome!" Assassin cheered while pumping his fist into the air. "And if Caster tries any crap, I'll show her who the biggest guy in this whole war is!" Tsubaki smiled as she nodded in agreement of Assassin's proclamation.

"I still think it is unwise to reduce our numbers…" Saber muttered before sighing. "But you are my Master, and thus I'll follow your decisions."

"Alright then." Shirou declared before walking towards the door with the four following behind him. "Let's go."

Maiya watched Shirou leave the kitchen while Luvia looked at their backs worriedly and Lancer simply stared while blinking, meaning that she was probably shocked at the decision. Maiya was more than worried about Shirou, she was terrified about his safety. After all, Lancer had informed them that Kirei had entered Ryuudoji Temple for a few moments before leaving. Despite the fact that Maiya already had a bat familiar in the trees surrounding the temple, ready to inform her of the first sign of danger so that she could send Luvia and Lancer, the fact that Kirei had even been there worried her. _"Just what are you up to, Kotomine Kirei?"_

Unknown to them, someone else was watching the leaving Servants and Masters.

On a tree a good distance away, binoculars over his eyes, Wade grinned as he watched Shirou's group leaving towards the temple. He took out a walkie-talkie and said, "This is Bea Arthur Fanboy to Punisher Wannabe, do you copy? Over."

_"Shut up."_ The annoyed voice of Avenger came from the other end. _"Just tell me what's going on."_

"Hey now! You're supposed to say 'Over' after your sentence!" Wade chided wistfully while a grin formed over his face. "It's tradition! Over."

_"Are they out or not?"_ Avenger asked with his teeth clenched before growling out, _"Over."_

"Shirou Emiya and the Mystery Gang minus two are heading out to find the ghost of the masochistic swordswoman." Wade giggled out while kicking his feet into the air. "I'll head over to my position before the party starts. Over."

_"…Tch."_ Avenger clicked his tongue before the walkie-talkie became silent, making Wade's eyes widen.

"Hey! You can't get the last word! I'm the one who's supposed to do that!" Wade whined before shaking his head. "How could TIM make me team up with such a stick in the mud? I mean, couldn't he make Kirei take Caster instead? She's totally hot! I mean, not as hot as Theresa, but still!" Wade then sighed before jumping down the tree and heading towards the general direction of the temple from a different route. "Well, look out world! Here comes the Superior Deadpool!"

**_Later (Ryuudoji Temple):_**

"Okay seriously, why do there need to be so many stairs up to the temple?" Assassin asked as he, Tsubaki, Sakura, Shirou, and Saber climbed up the numerous stone steps that led to the temple, all of them trying to ignore his musings/complaints.

"Why should it bother you Assassin?" Saber asked in an annoyed tone while glancing over her shoulder. "As a Heroic Spirit, you should not feel fatigue from this simple exercise."

"Still don't like it…" Assassin grumbled while his arms crossed over his chest.

If it had been his decision, they would have simply carried Shirou and Sakura to the temple and been at the top of the stairs already. He had a sinking feeling in his gut with each and every step he took, and it got worse and worse every moment.

He did not like the stillness of the air either. _"This is just too damn creepy…"_

Unknown to him, Saber did not like the stillness of the air either. Usually, such a thing would have meant a coming battle when she had been alive. _"But why? Why would Caster…"_ She had no time to think, for suddenly the air shifted, making Saber's eyes widen before he body bolted in front of Shirou and Sakura. Sparks flew as sword met sword, making everyone's eyes widen as Caster glared at them, her hands gripping her sword harder and harder as she applied more force to the blade.

"Caster, what is the meaning of this!?" Saber shouted, only to grunt as the strength of Caster began to match her own. _"How can she have this much strength? What kind of training has she gone through?"_

"I could ask you the same thing, Saber." Caster replied before pushing the blades upwards. As Saber began to regain her bearings, Caster swung her sword in an arc, only for Saber to twist her arms to that Excalibur's invisible blade could meet it.

"Tsubaki!" Assassin yelled before his partner instantly transformed into her Kusarigama form, to which Assassin threw the right scythe at Caster. Before the Servant could react, Tsubaki wrapped herself around Caster. Assassin then pulled on the chain to make her fly towards him. "You think you could just get the drop on us? Don't underestimate…" Assassin then jumped upwards while twisting his body, making his right foot shoot out to hit Caster's head. "…Me!"

Caster only ducked to avoid the blow and, while Assassin passed over her head, Caster jumped up and kicked Assassin in the back, making the Servant shout in surprise before he flew towards the forest, Tsubaki unwrapping Caster as she followed Assassin.

"That will not be enough to defeat me, Assassin!" Caster shouted before two swords appeared in her hands, both identical with golden hilts and wings for guards. She then turned back to Saber and swung the sword in her right hand at her, who blocked it before Caster stabbed with the sword in her left hand.

"GH!" Saber grunted as steel cut through the flesh and muscle of her right shoulder.

"SABER!" Shirou shouted, only for Saber to glare at him.

"Shirou, run! Assassin and I shall keep Caster busy!" Saber shouted back at her Master before, using Prana Burst to increase her strength, swung her sword at Caster who tried to block it. Much to the Servant's surprise, she was launched into the forest before Saber jumped after her.

Shirou grimaced before grabbing Sakura's hand and running up the stairs. This was not supposed to happen! Why did Caster just attack them like that? Why would she even need to? They showed no ill will! _"I have to find Kuzuki-sensei!"_ Shirou thought as they got to the top steps. _"He will clear everything up!"_

"SEMPAI LOOK OUT!"

"Hu-?" Was all Shirou could get out before a hard object impacted with his skull. Shirou didn't even realize he was flying until he landed on the ground. Shirou could only cough in pain as he got up to see his glasses-less teacher looking coldly at him while Sakura looked at them both in shock.

It didn't look like Souichirou was in a talkative mood.

**_Back With The Servants:_**

Caster righted herself in mid-air and used a tree trunk as a springboard to launch herself towards Saber. The Servant's eyes widened in shock before their blades met once more, sparks now lighting up the otherwise pitch-black night. Both Servants then landed on the ground, their feet skidding on the ground and making dust and dirt fly everywhere.

"I'll ask you again Caster, why have you attacked us?" Saber growled out, ignoring the blood seeping out of her wound. Saber could tell that Caster, despite the handful of times their blades had clashed, was a swordswoman practically on her caliber, if not more so. There was technique and grace behind her strikes with brute strength to back them up.

It would be a difficult battle if they were to continue.

"You have been deceived." Caster replied before her armor changed in a flash of light. The armor was now leather-like, had many wing-like decorations on it, a belt wrapped around her waist, and a short orange cape with pauldrons protruding from under it. The armor was one piece and revealed her fishnet-covered legs, high-heeled greaves, large knee-guards, and her hair was wrapped in buns on top of her head. She now wielded a set of simple swords with cross-shaped handguards, but they lacked a cutting edge. It was her _Morning Star Armor_.

"Yeah, we know that you didn't murder Matou Shinji!" Assassin yelled before Tsubaki's Shuriken cut through the air, only for Caster to jump to the side in order to avoid it and allow the star-shaped weapon to imbed itself into a tree.

"No, you did." Caster accused with narrowed eyes before she pointed both of her swords at Assassin, a yellow ball of energy gathering in front of them before it _exploded_ towards Assassin like lightning.

"Oh crap! _Speed*Star_!" Assassin yelled as he disappeared in a burst of speed, now appearing on another tree branch as the energy blast cut through the tree he had previously been standing on. "What the Hell are you talking about? I never killed the prick!"

"Liar!" Caster shouted before her armor changed again. It was now a revealing purple Japanese-style sleeveless robe that was decorated with flowers. It showed much of Caster's cleavage and was only held closed by a dark obi. In her hands was a Bisento with a purple pole. This was her armor, _The Robe of Yuen_.

If it were not a combat situation, Saber would have blushed in embarrassment.

Caster swung the blade at Saber, making the Servant lean back as the blade passed over her nose and cut off some of her hair. Caster then grabbed the pole before whacking Saber in her side with it, making her gasp in pain as she flew several feet and crashed into a tree, making it groan. "The Church overseer informed me of your plan Assassin! I will not allow you to turn me or my Master into a scapegoat!"

"Like I said! I have no idea…" Assassin's voice came from behind Caster, making her gasp as she turned around to see Assassin crouched down with his right hand slightly clenched and electricity dancing across his fingers. "…what the Hell you are talking about!" Assassin then slammed his hand into Caster's stomach, making her gasp as painful energy coursed through her body. "_Planet Destruction Cannon!_" Assassin declared as Caster _flew _through the air, crashing through two trees before dust blocked her from view. Assassin then grabbed Tsubaki, making her change back into her standard Kusarigama mode and turning his head to Saber. "You okay?"

"I'll manage Assassin." Saber muttered as she got to her feet, momentarily clenching her side with her left hand. That had _hurt_! Even with the armor! "Caster said that the overseer informed her that you were to blame."

"I _knew_ something was up!" Assassin seethed out. "But why would he…?"

_"Black*Star, look! Caster's back up again!"_ Tsubaki yelled out in his mind, making Assassin see Caster getting back up and now wearing another set of armor. It was an armor of gold and light-bluish color. Unlike the previous armor, it was more battle-oriented design-wise. Its gauntlets and shoulder-guards had spikes on them while her breastplate had gold trimmings along with plates that surrounded her neck. Her hair was now in a long braid, and her weapon had turned into long spear with a large blade at the end and a decorated circle attaching it to the shaft. It was Caster's _Lightning Empress Armor_.

"If you think that was all you needed to defeat me, you are sorely mistaken." Caster declared as she pointed her spear at the two Servants. "I have spent the days since we last met building up my Prana for a battle such as this one."

"And if you think this is our limit, your head's full of crap." Assassin stated before closing his eyes. "_Soul Resonance: Uncanny Sword._" Tsubaki transformed into her familiar black blade form with white stripes on the hilt. As black markings began to spread on Assassin's face, he then whispered, "_Shadow*Star: Third Form - Severed Shadow_." The blade then transformed into a large black kunai with white ornate patterns and a long cloth tied to it.

Caster narrowed her eyes at Assassin before thinking, _"That energy… something's wrong with it…"_

"Here I go!" Assassin yelled before dashing forward and then disappearing in a blur. Caster's eyes widened as Assassin suddenly appeared right in front of her. As she prepared to strike him down, something impacted with the side of her head, making her spin around to see another Assassin over her!

_"What is this!?"_ Caster thought to herself as five Assassin appeared around her and began to attack her all at once. All of them looked just like Assassin, but were slightly blurred like a bad TV image.

_"Assassin can create afterimages from pure speed?"_ Saber thought to herself in shock as she watched Caster dodge and parry the blows made by the copies. _"No, each one is attacking Caster and hitting her like the real thing. Do they have their own mass?"_

_"All of them hit like Assassin…"_ Caster thought to herself in anger as she used her gauntlet to block a stab from one of the Assassin clones. _"But which one is the real one?"_ She then noticed one Assassin clone standing slightly away from the others in a crouched position, not attacking her at all. _"That one!"_ Caster ignored the other clones before stabbing the Assassin with the blade of her pole, feeling the blade cut through muscle and bone. Her eyes then widened as 'Assassin' fazed from existence._ "Another clone?"_

"You fell for it!" Assassin yelled out before bringing his kunai down on Caster's head. Caster, in the blink of an eye, held her spear with both of her hands on the shaft to keep Assassin's weapon from stabbing her. "Now!"

"Right!" Saber yelled before rushing forward, swinging her sword at Caster, who jumped back to avoid the fatal strike but was unable to prevent a cut from appearing on her abdomen.

As blood began to pour from the wound, Caster glared at the two before shouting, "ENOUGH!" Caster then rotated her spear in a circular motion, sparks of electricity flying as multiple beams of lightning hit all the Assassin clones.

"GAH!" Assassin yelled in pain as he fell to the ground.

_"Black*Star!"_ Tsubaki yelled as Assassin got back onto his feet.

"It's okay! It'll take a lot more than that to put a big guy like me down!" Assassin declared while Saber shook her head in exasperation. They then both blinked as they saw Caster, changed once more.

Plated armor now covered her chest with a large metal flower printed on it. She wore a large billowing skirt with metal plating covering the upper area, a wing-like headpiece, and two large metal wings resting on her back. They looked as if they were made from individual blades.

It was Caster's _Heaven's Wheel Armor_.

"I will end this now." Caster declared while looking at the two Servants.

**_With The Masters:_**

Shirou instantly took out the hand gun that was in his pants before aiming it at Souichirou, who stared at the action with his usual coldness. _"I have to do this…"_ Shirou thought to himself as he glared at Souichirou. _"I have to do it; otherwise he'll attack Sakura next!"_ Shirou did not notice his hand shaking a tiny fraction before firing his pistol, missing Souichirou's head and only scratching his face. In the blink of an eye, Souichirou was in front of him with his left hand now holding his hands upwards.

"…If you hesitate, you should not wield a gun." Souichirou said coldly before kneeing Shirou in the gut, making him gasp in pain and letting go of the gun.

"Sempai!" Sakura shouted as she began to move, only for Shirou to motion her to stop.

"D-don't! Don't get involved!" Shirou shouted out, ignoring Sakura's expression as he got back on his feet while Souchirou seemed to empty the chambers, the bullets hitting the ground, before throwing the gun down the steps.

Unfortunately, unlike his fight with Avenger's Master, he didn't have an arsenal on him.

Souichirou then rushed forward, snapping his left fist hard into Shirou's side before he could react. Shirou grimaced in pain, for even with a Reinforced body those blows hurt. Shirou attempted to kick Souichirou's legs from under him, only for his teacher to hop in order to avoid them and punched Shirou in the face.

Shirou had never truly faced a martial artist before. Maiya had taught him basic fighting techniques, but nothing too fancy. Especially the style that Souichirou was using. If this kept going on, Souichirou would beat him into a bloody pulp.

Shirou snapped his right arm, letting a knife slip out from his sleeve, before stabbing at Souichirou. The man calmly kept backing up to avoid the strikes before raising the cast on his right arm. The knife dug into the material while his left arm shot forward, nailing Shirou in the face once more. But the assault did not stop. Souichirou continued to punch and punch and punch Shirou until the redhead could no longer feel his face and his head felt dizzy. Shirou then flew several feet back with a powerful punch to the face. _"Why can't I…?"_

_"Why didn't you shoot him?"_ A part of Shirou's mind asked as Shirou's vision became blurry.

_"Was it because you know him? Like Tohsaka?"_ The thought continued as Souichirou walked closer to him, throwing the knife to the side.

_"You cannot fulfill your dream if you hesitate."_ The image of a happily smiling Kiritsugu entered in Shirou's mind at that moment.

_"If you hesitate any more, you will die."_ The broken and bloodied body of Avenger's Master entered his vision.

_"You will be unable to protect her, them, EVERYONE if you die."_ Shirou could now see Sakura screaming in near panic.

_"So stop being an idiot and FIGHT!"_ The thought screamed, making Shirou's vision become clear before he shouted, "TRACE ON!" His Magic Circuits then flared to life while Bakuya and Kanshou appeared in his hands. Before Souichirou could react, Shirou swung Bakuya and cut a huge gash across his chest. Souichirou stumbled back while Shirou got up and gripped the swords.

"Sorry it took so long Kuzuki-sensei." Shirou began, now glaring at the man. "Now I'm ready to fight you."

**_Back With The Servants:_**

"If you got a plan Saber, I'd love to hear it!" Assassin yelled out as he ducked behind another tree while two swords impaled the one he had previously been hiding behind.

Saber grunted in frustration as she held onto her bleeding shoulder. The fight was not going well. It seemed before with Assassin's Noble Phantasm that they would win, but Caster's latest armor kicked that idea to the curb. Whatever it was, it was made to handle multiple opponents and had no shortage of weapons. Even she could not imagine going truly head to head with Caster in her current state. _"No, there is a way to end this quickly."_ Saber corrected herself as her eyes narrowed. _"But could it harm anyone?"_ Not likely, if she aimed it at the direction away from both the town and the temple. _"But I will be left in a weakened state from Prana shortage."_ Saber thought before shaking her head. It was better than just staying here and potentially dying because she was being stubborn.

Whatever the church overseer had told Caster, it made her wholly convinced that they were seeking her life. She would not stop or listen to them when they denied the accusations. _"There is nothing we can do to convince her otherwise."_ Saber then let out a breath before muttering, "Very well. Assassin, stay behind me."

Assassin nodded, seeing the conviction in Saber's eyes. "Alright, after all, you need a big guy like me to watch your back."

Caster glared as Saber and Assassin got out of their hiding spots and now faced her. It seems that her _Heaven's Wheel Armor_ was too much for them, and had made them retreat. But what did they have now that made them so confident? _"Perhaps Saber's Noble Phantasm?"_ Caster thought, eying the invisible blade. Saber had not revealed the blade throughout their entire battle, making Caster conclude that the blade was too recognizable and it would reveal her identity the moment it could be seen.

Suddenly the wind covering the blade from view disappeared, revealing Excalibur in all its glory.

_"Something about that thing seems familiar…"_ Assassin thought to himself with narrowed eyes. _"And makes me want to punch Saber in the face for having it."_

Excalibur then glowed, making everyone's eyes widen as specks of light began to be attracted to the blade. The clouds covering the moon seemed to part, and the moonlight gave both Saber and her blade a haunting beauty.

_"It's beautiful…"_ The same thoughts echoed through both Tsubaki and Caster's minds while Assassin stared slack-jawed at Saber, who now looked at Caster calmly.

"I regret that we could not clash swords like true knights, Caster." Saber spoke before stepping forward. "However, you refuse to listen to reason. So now, I must end this." The blade seemed to hum as Saber to a deep breath. _"EX..."_

"…No fucking way." Assassin muttered bluntly as his face shifted into an expression of horror.

Caster's eyes widened as she felt the power the Noble Phantasm contained. _"I will not survive a direct hit!"_

_"….CALIBUR!"_ Saber finished, swinging down her blade as a brilliant burst of golden energy raced towards Caster. In an instant, the light blinded both the Servants before it disappeared as quickly as it came. A large gorge now covered the area that was in front of Saber with several trees either gone or burning. "She is still alive." Saber muttered after a moment of silence. "I can sense her. Let's… Assassin?"

Assassin's face was scrunched up, his eyes showing annoyance, and his teeth grit together as he groaned out, "So _you're_ the one who picked up that weirdo?"

"Weirdo?" Saber repeated before looking down at her sword. "Do you mean Ex-?"

"Don't!" Assassin yelled out, making Saber jump a bit in surprise. "H-hide that weirdo before he notices me! Please, I don't want to deal with that annoying little bastard again!"

Saber slowly nodded before using some remaining Prana to hide Excalibur in Invisible Air. Why was Assassin acting so strange because of her Noble Phantasm?

"You really _are_ a hero if you can deal with him." Assassin muttered before he jumped towards the temple, making Saber blink in confusion before following him.

Just what did he mean by that?

**_With Caster:_**

Caster grunted in pain as she lifted herself from the floor, scorched pieces of her Adamantine Armor falling off while wincing as the burns hurt her. She had barely survived the blast. She had flown to the side as quickly as she could before switching to her most defensive armor, only catching an edge of Saber's Noble Phantasm and yet she was still this injured! _"Just what…?"_

She then noticed her Master struggling in his fight with Saber's Master, who kept swinging two swords at him just like… _"Avenger?"_ Caster thought in shock before shaking her head. _"No, I must think about this later. I need to aid Master."_ With that thought, her western-style sword with a blue handle and a wing-like guard appeared in her hands as she rushed to Souichirou's side and swung her blade at Shirou's raised scimitars. In an instant, the two blades shattered, sending shrapnel everywhere.

"Caster?" Souichirou asked in relative surprise before noticing her condition. "You're injured." Yes, he was in fact worried. And why shouldn't he be? Caster looked like she came out of a war zone.

"I will endure Master." Caster replied while eying Shirou as he got back onto his feet.

Shirou grunted as he looked at Caster, trying to ignore his blurry vision. Caster's sword… it had shattered Byakuya and Kanshou like they were nothing! He needed something stronger. Something… "Analysis start." Shirou muttered as he looked at the sword, now seeing _everything_ about the sword itself. Who, how, and where it had been made (where the Hell was Fiore?), the materials needed to make it, everything. "Trace on…" Shirou muttered, sweating a bit inside and outside. After all, this was his first sword besides Byakuya and Kanshou copied, even if it was a nameless blade. In an instant, like watching a puzzle solve itself, the sword appeared in his hands with faint red hexagonal markings covering it.

Caster's eyes widened in shock before she thought, _"Just like…!"_

"Shirou! Get behind me!" Saber yelled as she and Assassin appeared in front of Shirou, taking defensive positions as they faced Caster once more.

"Sempai!" Sakura yelled as she ran past the Servants and shakingly reached out her hand towards his wounds. "You're hurt…"

Of course he was! He was hurt fighting Souichirou _alone_! She could have helped him, but instead she had stood back and became just a _spectator_! Why couldn't she...?

"I'm fine Sakura. As long as I know you're alright…" Shirou then offered a weak smile to Sakura, whose heart leaped from the words despite the wounds on his face. "…I'm fine."

**_Elsewhere (In The Forest):_**

"God, can this scene get anymore sappy?" Wade groaned out as he made himself comfortable on the tree branch. "I know that TIM likes Shirou/Sakura, but seriously, all this weak-ass fluff makes me want to puke!" Wade then sighed before saying, "Oh well, time to go to work."

Wade then opened the bag beside him to reveal a fully assembled sniper rifle before he picked it up and aimed it towards his target while looking through the night-vision scope. "I just hope Avenger isn't brooding, because this scene is going to be tragic as Hell!"

**_Back With Everyone Else:_**

Souichirou spotted the shine of gunmetal in the newly revealed moonlight. As a former Assassin, he knew the only thing that had to remain stationary and be at that far of a distance: a sniper rifle.

Without so much as a thought, Souichirou ran towards the weakened Caster and pushed her out of the way. "Master! What are you…?"

Several trees away, Wade grinned as he pulled the trigger all the while singing out, "Head shot~!"

The bullet ripped through Souichirou's skull before exiting through the other side. Caster stared at the whole thing in shock and horror as blood splashed on her face and Souichirou's body fell to the ground. "NO!" Caster yelled in horror and despair as she kneeled down and made Souichirou's body lay on the ground face-up. Souchirou gurgled blood from his mouth as his right hand attempted to reach Caster's face. However, before he could reach her his breath stopped, and his hand fell limply to the ground.

"What the Hell!?" Assassin shouted in horror while Shirou, Sakura, and Saber stared at the whole thing in equal amounts of shock. Souichirou had just died right in front of them, protecting Caster. But just who had fired…?

"No… please…!" Caster muttered as tears began to pour out of her left eye, falling onto Souichirou's body. "SHOW YOURSELF!" Caster yelled out as she stood up, two swords now in her hands as she swung her head across the grounds, her eyes filled with rage. "COME OUT NOW! YOU WILL PAY FOR…!"

_"GAE BOLG!"_ Avenger's voice shouted out and not even a second later a red bullet came from the trees and impaled Caster through her chest. Caster's eyes widened in pain as she saw a red spear with vein-like engravings on its shaft protrude from her chest. She dropped her swords and fell to her knees as her shaking hands gripped it, as if to confirm it was real.

But she knew it was. It was real, and it had torn a hole through her heart.

More tears flowed from her eye before she coughed out a huge amount of blood. "GhhhaAAAHHHH!"

"W-What is…?" Sakura stammered out before a hand wrapped around her waist and something hard hit her in the back of her head, knocking her out.

"Sakura!" Shirou shouted as he saw Sakura fall limp in the arms of Avenger, who looked coldly at all of them.

"AVENGER!" Saber shouted with her sword ready to strike the Servant down before he put a dagger against Sakura's neck.

"Do it and she dies." Avenger said coldly, making Saber growl while gripping her sword tighter.

"YOU BASTARD!" Assassin yelled in anger as he stared at Avenger with utter hatred. "Let her go now, or…"

"She's insurance." Avenger's reply was simple and to the point as he looked at all of them without a hint of fear or regret. "Follow me and you will suffer the consequences." With that, Avenger held onto Sakura and jumped into the forest, out of sight.

"Give back Sakura you…!" Shirou shouted as he began to run after Avenger, only for Saber to place her hand on Shirou's shoulder.

"…We'll only put her more at risk, Shirou." Saber muttered before looking back at Caster, who kept bleeding on the floor with her hands on the spear.

Tsubaki transformed back into her human form and ran to Caster's side before saying, "D-do not worry. I-I think I can…"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Caster shouted while pushing Tsubaki away, making more blood squirt from her wound and pour from her mouth. More tears fell as she said, "I-Is there a level _any_ of you will not sink to? Kidnapping, hidden agendas, back-stabbing…" She then glared at the gathered Servants before shouting, "DO ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY SHAME!?" Everyone seemed to take a step back at the statement as Caster continued, ignoring the golden flickers coming from her body. "I won't… I won't forgive _any_ of you for this! All of you are selfish _monsters_, fighting for your own reasons and not for others! You only reach for the Grail for your own selfish desires, hoping to achieve something to bring peace towards yourself and not for others! You denied me from protecting my Guild… my family…!" Caster then began to cry from both eyes as most of her body flickered away from existence. "I-I hope that the Grail is cursed! That your wish will _ruin_ you!" Her right half of her body was now gone, making Caster fall to the side as she glared hatefully at all of them. "YOU WILL REMEMBER FAIRY TAIL WHEN YOUR LIVES FALL TO RUIN!" Caster shouted before all that remained were her arm and her eye, seemingly floating in space.

Caster saw, in the moon, all the members of her guild smiling happily while drinking, fighting, and arguing before laughing about it and smiling at her. She saw them all reach out their hands to her, and Caster tried to reach for them as well before she completely disappeared in a shower of golden light.

Caster, once known through her life as Erza Scarlet, the 'Queen of Fairies' and member of the Magic Guild Fairy Tail… was dead.

Thus the Fifth Holy Grail War suffered its first two casualties.

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

Taiga and Illyasviel looked at the screen of their computer, slack-jawed at what they just read.

"Wow I… wow…" Taiga muttered in shock as she continued to look at the screen while Illyasviel looked at the 'audience'.

"Sensei, they're here…" Illyasviel muttered before Taiga waved her hand in an almost _uncaring_ manner.

"Yeah just… tell them the title of the next chapter…" Taiga muttered while Illyasviel just nodded.

"R-right…" Illyasviel muttered before looking at the 'audience'. "S-Stay tuned for our next chapter, 'Inglorious Servants'!"

"Check it out…" Taiga muttered half-heartedly as she continued to look at the screen.

**Note-**** Hhooo boy! Now this chap was a bitch to get out! Yo guys, it's your good-old pal TIM with the latest chapter of Stay Away, betad by Sir Godot once more! This had to be my longest chapter yet, and man was it a pain to write the fight scene! More for Caster's armors and abilities than anything. Anyway, since I forgot to put down Caster's Stat Sheet, here it is…**

Class: Caster

Master: Souichirou Kuzuki

True Name: Erza Scarlet

Sex: Female

Height/Weight: 174cm/56kg

Theme Song: Fairy Tail OST- Erza's Theme

Alignment: Lawful Good

Strength: C++

Endurance: B++

Agility: B++

Mana: A+

Luck: C+

Noble Phantasm: B

_Class Skills-_

Magic Resistance- Grants protection against magical effects. Differently from the Resistance effect that merely rejects prana, this ability cancels the spells altogether. Important to note that the term "verse" seen below refers to a set of three lines. Thus, a chant of two verses is equivalent to a Six-Line incantation.

C: Caster's Magic Resistance originates from her artificial eye, allowing her to overcome any magic that aim at her through her eyes. The more powerful the magic, the longer it takes to overcome it.

Territory Creation- The skill to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus.

B: Creation of a "workshop" becomes possible.

_Personal Skills-_

Battle Continuation- The strength of vitality for predicaments. Also, the ability to withdraw from combat and reach allied territory alive after being defeated.

A: Makes possible to fight even with deadly injuries and can remain alive so long as one does not receive a decisive fatal wound.

Eternal Arms Mastership- Prevents degradation of fighting skills when under the effect of mental hindrance.

A+: Mastership of combat arts has reached the point of being said to be unrivaled in one's era. By complete merging of mind, body and technique, it is possible to make use of full fighting skills even when under the influence of any sort of mental hindrance.

Eye for Art- Infatuation with works of art.

D: As Caster is a fan of a certain weapon designer, her knowledge regarding weapons has increased to the point of being able to discern a lot of information by seeing the opponent's weapon.

Prana Burst- The increase in performance caused by impregnating one's weapons and body with magical energy and instantly expelling it. Simply put, recreating the effect of jet burst by expending large amounts of prana.

A: A normal weapon that is not on the level of a divine mystery can be destroyed in one blow. Raises defense in several times.

_Noble Phantasm-_

The Knight: "Titania – The Maiden of Swords"- C+ ~ A+ (Anti-Unit): Caster's style of magic allows her to swap various weapons, clothes, and armors at any time she wishes. Each armor and weapon possesses an individual skill that makes it unique.

**So yeah, there you go. And I hope you guys liked the fight because I spent all of last night making it before my muse stopped and my writing block appeared again.**

**Anyway, I'm working on a partnership fic with RealmOfEmptiness. It's a Casshern Sins/Sora no Otoshimono fic titled "_Heaven of Sinners_" He just published it, so go check it out and don't forget to review. You can find the link on my profile along with my challenges and challenge takers. **

**Also, do not forget to go on Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and add on whatever you think belongs there, especially with what happened with this chapter. **

**And review! Reviews fuel my muse, and the more reviews the better! Tell me what you liked and give me constructive criticism! Flames will be used to light up marshmallows. So get working! **

**…Please? **


	16. Inglorious Servants

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

"Welcome, Avenger." Kirei said with a smirk as Avenger came into the church, holding Sakura's still unconscious body in his arms. "I trust the mission went well? I mean, it obviously did since you have Sakura." Kirei then put on a mock-shocked expression on his face before he gasped out, "Or maybe you picked up a hooker and _dressed her up_ like Sakura! You're fucked up enough for…"

"Shut your _fucking_ mouth Kirei." Avenger growled out while staring at the man with hate. "I did what you asked. I brought her here. But why did you waste a Command Seal on me to make me kill Caster?"

"Why, to give the whole fic some more drama, Avenger old pal!" Wade laughed out as he walked past Avenger. "After all, there needs to be some heartbreak in this story! It's the Nasuverse after all."

"Besides, I have two more for you." Kirei mentioned as he held up his left hand, showing two crimson red sword markings, which were Avenger's Command Seals. "I'm allowed to waste one."

"…" Avenger continued to glare at the man. That logic was plain _stupid_, but the result was cruel even to Avenger. However, Caster was now out of the war. And now there was not a single Servant in Ryuudoji Temple, ending the strategic advantage that Caster formerly possessed. "If you touch her, I swear to God…"

"Yes, yes. You'll use _Rule Breaker_ on me. I get it." Kirei said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Do whatever you want. I'm sure that Bazette will enjoy having a new roommate. On the other hand, I'm going to do something productive."

"TO SKYRIM!" Wade shouted before he and Kirei went to the back of the church. Avenger waited for a few minutes until he heard the sounds of buttons being mashed and then walked to the back, opened a door, and began climbing down several steps to the basement of the church.

When he had still been alive, he had known how Kirei had supplied Gilgamesh with Prana. He had used other orphans of the Fuyuki Fire as living batteries, turning them into mummies as they continued to supply the King of Heroes with the Prana necessary to use his full abilities. Kirei even had had Bazette join them once he had taken Lancer from her.

But here, there were no little husks that were formerly children. Now there were simply two beds, a crate filled with junk food, a chair, and several boxes that were labeled as 'porn', 'comics', 'games', or 'Golden Girls Memorabilia'. The occupant of one of the beds was Bazette, completely passed out with a healed stump that was formerly her left hand. She was still dressed in the same clothes she had worn when Kirei had done the deed. Apparently, Kirei did not want to kill her. He said it was 'too predictable'.

Kirei, while a fool at times, was more sadistic and dangerous than the one Avenger knew. Not only that, but he was even more insane. Whatever Deadpool had done to him in the Fourth War drove him completely insane, and this lead him to copying the former Servant who had given him his new 'world view'.

Avenger did not believe that this world was fictional, like Deadpool or Kirei thought. Deadpool only acted like he did because it was in his character, and Kirei was simply copying him. They were simply two insane men who fate had decided to heap upon this world.

And for whatever reason, fate had decided to have him aid them.

_"It wasn't like I had any choice."_ Avenger thought bitterly to himself as he gently placed Sakura on the empty bed. _"None of the other Masters would have accepted me, and Bazette no longer had any Prana to supply me with. This is my only option to participate in the Holy Grail War… for now."_

Avenger pulled up the chair and sat down next to the bed of Sakura, the only persona he had been unable save. The girl he had had to kill in order to truly become a 'protector of justice'…

Sometimes, he wondered what would have happened if he had chosen to abandon his ideal in order to protect Sakura. Could things have ended differently? Would he have been spared the hellish life of being a Counter Guardian? But, it was too late. Too late to think of 'what ifs'.

_"She's… just like I remember…"_ Avenger thought to himself as he gazed at Sakura's face.

"…Sakura…"

**_Elsewhere (Mitsuduri Residence):_**

Waver wiggled out of his wife's grip and got out of the bed thinking, _"God damn it, I really need to quit…"_ With a sigh, Waver tiptoed to his bag and picked up his cigar box before noticing Rider's empty futon. _"Huh. Guess he can't sleep…"_

Not surprising, since Servants really did not _need_ to sleep and it was more of a choice than anything. Kamina had chosen to sleep most of the time out of habit and because he wanted to. But Waver also had a sneaking suspicion that Kamina just had not wanted to be alone at night while he slept, and had preferred to hang out with him rather than be by himself. But Rider? He never showed any similarities to Kamina other than his enthusiasm in battle. He was a lot calmer and more easygoing towards things, and wasn't afraid to joke around when it came to his marriage life. Not that he didn't like that. It was nice to have a (mostly) calm partner for this war. But he still missed Kamina's boundless enthusiasm. _"Well, I can't expect things to return to the way they used to…"_

"Come on! Just let me out already!" The voice of Bender called out, making Waver slightly jump before taking out the vial containing the Code.

"What the Hell are you doing? Are you trying to wake everyone up and cause a scene?" Waver hissed out, only for the two miniaturized googly eyes to glare back.

"Ain't my fault you stuck me in this thing for days on end! I haven't had a smoke or a beer since we arrived here!" Bender shouted, making Waver's eye twitch.

"Because you would cause a scene if I did let you out and you know it!" Waver whispered even more violently, only for a low chuckle to erupt from the Code.

"If I don't get some booze soon, I'm going to do a Hell of a lot more than cause a scene! Hell, I think I'll…." Before Bender could finish, Waver emptied the vial onto the ground, making the Mystic Code turn to its regular shape and size. "Much obliged meatbag."

"If you wake anyone up, I'll personally throw out all the alcohol in the house once we return to England." Waver threatened, making Bender roll his eyes before they quietly went down the hallway. It was then that Waver noticed that Ayako's door was slightly opened. Curiously, he took a peep. It was completely black inside, not surprising since it was the middle of the night. What _was_ surprising however were the huffs and puffs he heard, along with the small cry of…

_"W-waver-s-a-!"_

_"Whelp, enough of that." _Waver thought as he quietly closed the door and walked away with a small blush on his face. Just what was up with Ayako? This went beyond just her hormones acting wild (he didn't want to remember what _he_ had done during his teenage years). For her personality to change so drastically to actually _peep_ on him when before she showed no other interest other than gratefulness… _"I'm going to have a talk with her later. Maybe then this'll all be settled."_

"Hallelujah!" Bender cried out from the kitchen, making Waver quietly slip down the stairs and peek into the kitchen, only to see Bender raiding the fridge and taking a six-pack of beer. "Come to Papa!" Bender then lifted the beers over his head before opening the cans one by one, their substances instantly going to his mouth. Once he was finished he let out a large burp and moved onto the next one.

With that bullet dodged, Waver sighed and turned around, blinking in surprise as he saw Rider through the window, who was sitting on the back steps and looking at something. Without even thinking, Waver walked towards the back door and opened it. Rider didn't even seem to register his presence as he closed the door and sat down next to his Servant.

Waver looked at Rider's hands and saw a small ring. The ring seemed to be made of pure silver for the most part, but the gem on it was an emerald that shined in the moonlight. It looked like it had been worked on endlessly by the one who had forged it. _"Just who did that ring belong to?"_ Waver thought as he took out a cigar from the box and placed it inside his mouth before taking out a lighter. As he lit the cigar, put down the lighter, took a big intake of the smoke, and let it all out he turned to Rider and asked, "Couldn't sleep?"

"Not really." Rider said with a shrug. "Just wanted to get a breath of fresh air, is all. You?"

"Needed a smoke." Waver said with a sigh before taking out the cigar from his mouth with his right hand. "Really annoys me how this happens. Tried to quit a few times, but it never works."

"Never really got why Zorthy liked those things." Rider said wistfully. "They always smelled awful, and whenever we were in the elevator the smoke always made me cough up a storm. Rossiu's whole 'no smoking' laws were the only ones that actually made sense to me."

"Were they part of Team Dai-Gurren too?" Waver asked curiously as he put the cigar back in his mouth. Kamina hadn't mentioned anyone specific that had been part of his team other than Simon, that Kittan guy in his Reality Marble, and the rest he had mentioned via nicknames.

"Yeah, they were." Simon said with a sigh. "While I was alive, I heard that Zorthy died from lung cancer. Rossiu… I don't know. I died before he did."

_"…Great job. You just brought up painful memories."_ Waver berated himself before asking, "So, who did that ring belong to?"

"My wife, Nia." Rider answered, making Waver's eyes widen. Rider had been married?

"What was she like?" Waver asked, making a small smile grow on Rider's face.

"…She was… like the sun. Had a personality that matched it. She was always kind and understanding about everything, even if she was a little naïve towards a few things. But whenever she walked into a room, the mood would brighten up right away. I loved her for that." Rider then sighed as he looked at the moon. His eyes seeming to haze over from memories past.

"…what happened to her?" Waver asked gently, only for Rider to sigh as he continued to finger the ring.

"She died." Rider responded, instantly making Waver feel like an ass for the second time in the night. "But we knew it would happen. I still love her, and I will never forget about her." Rider then chuckled before saying, "You know, I'm kind of happy that you and your wife get along so well. You still love her despite her… little quirks."

"Yeah, yeah I do…" Waver said while a small smile settled on his face. Even though Cristina could be a bother at times, he still cared deeply about her and would do anything to protect her. It was just the kind of man he was. "By the way, Rider. What is your wish?"

"Don't have one." Rider said carelessly as he pocketed the ring. Waver looked at him in shock. A Servant without a wish? That should be impossible, but then again, stranger things had happened in his life. "Don't really want anything, and if I brought anybody back to life they would just get in the way of the new generation that they sacrificed themselves over."

"…Yeah. I guess you're right about that." Waver spoke as he and Rider continued to sit outside in the chilly weather, the smoke of Waver's cigar flowing into the air.

"…One of the Servants fell while you were asleep." Rider mentioned, not taking his eyes off the moon. "Caster, I think."

"…I was actually going to suggest we go after her." Waver muttered under his breath. "But who did you think did it?"

"Not sure. I only saw a burst of gold light." Rider replied, making Waver blink. If that was really what he thought it was, then…

"That must have been Saber. She used that attack against the last war's Archer." Waver informed Rider, who nodded at the piece of information.

"Maybe, but something in my gut tells me there is more to it than that." Rider muttered, his eyes narrowing. "And I don't like it. Not one damn bit."

**_Elsewhere (Outskirts of Fuyuki City):_**

The sound of breaking wood echoed throughout the forest, along with the shrieks of wildlife as they fled their former homes. Some trees fell down, crashing into the ground with a loud bang.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Assassin yelled as he continued to punch the tree trunk in front of him, his knuckles bleeding from both broken skin and creaking bones. With one final punch, the trunk exploded into numerous wood chips, and the tree fell to the side as Assassin panted, ignoring the blood dripping from his hands onto the floor. His expression was both pained and angry as he kept glaring at the fallen tree in front of him.

Tsubaki rushed to his side and took off his gloves, looking shocked at the state of Assassin's hands. "Black*Star, why?" Tsubaki cried out as a few tears came out of her eyes while she took out a vial and began to wipe gauze on the wounds. "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Assassin had been doing this for an hour straight, taking down a tree with punches alone before moving on to the next one. Tsubaki had been pleading for him to stop ever since the first drop of blood had come down, even going so far as to yell at him. But he wouldn't listen, instead he continued to let his rage onto the trees that he found.

So far, he had knocked down about six.

"…I'm just pissed Tsubaki." Assassin muttered as Tsubaki began to wrap his hands in bandages. "I failed. I couldn't stop Avenger from taking Sakura right in front of us. That bastard is probably doing something to her…"

"Don't think like that Black*Star!" Tsubaki yelled as she finished wrapping the bandages around his left hand before moving onto his right. "If you think like that, we'll never be able to save Sakura!"

"I know damn it!" Assassin yelled, making Tsubaki freeze in shock while Assassin looked at the ground. "I hate how we now have to wait until we figure out a plan! I have to wait for the rest of the night while Sakura is in that bastard's hands!" Assassin then closed his left hand, ignoring the pain as he spat out, "If only Caster had _listened_ to us! Then we wouldn't have had to deal with this crap!"

Tsubaki looked down as she finished wrapping the bandages on Assassin's right hand. Assassin had taken the aftermath of the battle with Caster hard. He had left right after dropping a now unconscious Saber and Shirou at the house before leaving for the forest. What scared her the most was that Assassin had not said a single _word _up until now, and that almost never happened. _"Why does he have to blame himself over this?"_ Tsubaki thought to herself as she placed her hand gently on Assassin's shoulder. "Black*Star, it's not your…"

"Servant Caster's actions were not your doing, Assassin." Lancer's voice spoke out before she appeared in front of both Assassin and Tsubaki, still wearing her skin-tight battle wear rather than any form of casual clothes, as usual. "From the information I have, Caster refused to listen to the explanation that was necessary to defuse the situation, thus the fault lies upon her."

"…When did you get here Lancer?" Assassin asked without looking up, only for Lancer to slightly tilt her head to the side.

"I have been in the area since you left the Emiya residence, as per Master's orders." Lancer replied, making Tsubaki glare at her.

"Then why didn't you try to help me stop him?" Tsubaki asked, only for Lancer to blink.

"Those were not part of my orders, otherwise I would have assisted you." Lancer said, making Tsubaki sigh. Despite how she interacted more with others nowadays, Lancer still took the Master-Servant dynamic too seriously.

"It's not a problem Tsubaki. I'll be fine tomorrow." Assassin mumbled as he sat down on the floor cross-legged. "…I hate this."

"What?" Tsubaki asked, only for Assassin's eyes to narrow.

"The Holy Grail War. This whole thing brings nothing but dead loved ones and brings out the worst in heroes. All for one damn wish." Assassin growled out, his hands twitching slightly. "Caster thought she was the only one whose wish involved saving others. She accused us of being selfish, not even knowing what we wanted in our wish. She refused to listen to us for her wish when it could have prevented an unnecessary fight. In the end, this whole war brought out the worst of Caster. I don't know what her wish was, I but I respect it enough not to judge it like she did with me and Saber."

"In the end, all wishes are selfish." Lancer spoke, making the two turn to her. "A wish itself implies that the one who made it wants something. No matter how good it is, they are selfish to believe that their wish is more important than others."

"Guess you're right." Assassin muttered as he looked down. "…In the end, all the people who participate in this war are selfish. Not that it matters for us anymore, since we threw away those wishes once we knew the consequences, but still…"

"It's alright, Black*Star. We'll keep working to make sure that nothing like this has to happen again." Tsubaki spoke with conviction while Lancer stood beside her, only for Assassin to shake his head.

"Can you guys give me a moment alone?" Assassin asked, making Tsubaki stare at him in shock while Lancer just blinked. "I wanna… think some things over."

"A-alright…" Tsubaki muttered before she and Lancer disappeared from view. After a moment, Assassin looked at his hands, now wrapped up in bandages, before closing them and letting out two words.

"Damn it…"

**_Elsewhere (Dreamscape):_**

_There was no one here._

_The sky was an eternal night, and the waves looked like newly spilled blood._

_The Mass Produced Evangelions stood crucified in the water, their metal rusting and bits of flesh rotting._

_Rei's head was in the distance, still giving that same damn smile as flesh was being peeled off._

_He was all alone._

_Except for the girl that was under him._

_The girl that he loved._

_They were the only two left, all alone on the beach. The rest of humanity was still in the primordial ooze, dreaming of false realities and never truly bonding or hurting with others._

_Her flesh felt soft as he choked her neck._

_Asuka didn't even seem to react as teardrops flowed from his eyes and landed on her face._

_Shinji was insane, he knew that. He had known it for years, but had always kept running from the fact. Never asking others for help, and only taking in all the horrible, horrible things that had happened in his life._

_"What are you waiting for?" Asuka whispered out without emotion. "Do it, you want to do it."_

_Before Shinji knew it, his hands closed tighter before a sickening crack echoed through the lonely world. Shinji blinked, and saw Taiga smiling happily before he heard a laugh._

_He didn't want to know if it was his or not._

**_You know you want to do it._**

_Shinji now found himself in an empty white room, and in front of him was a grey-haired boy in a school uniform, playing Beethoven's 9th Symphony on a grand piano. The boy turned around, and Shinji saw that his eyes were red like rubies or pools of blood._

_"Oh, hello Shinji-kun!" Kaworu said happily as Shinji just stared at him. "Remember me?" Kaworu's head then slip off his neck, and blood spewed like a fountain as it fell on the floor and rolled in front of Shinji's feet._

**_You hate everything and everyone for the pain they brought you._**

_Shinji then saw Kensuke, Toji, Maya, Ritsuko, Kanji, Misato, and everyone he knew in life floating in LCL, crying out in pain as their bodies turned into nothing. Shinji began to shake in horror as, in their last moments, they gained blissful expressions on their faces before they disappeared completely._

**_You hate how they left you all alone for all those years._**

_Rei looked at him sadly, dressed in her old school uniform, as Kotomine Kirei ran his Black Keys through her body, Sola-Ui already dead at his feet. She held a knife, and in her left hand was a right hand containing three Command Seals. The Command Seals both she and Kayneth had possessed during the Fourth Holy Grail War. The knife itself was stained with blood, and several feet away was the body of Kayneth Archibald minus one right hand, laying in a pool of blood with a betrayed expression on his face._

**_They will leave you too. You know this._**

_"Stop this!" Shinji cried out in horror while clutching his head in pain as more friends and family appeared in front of him. His mother crying as she floated endlessly in space. His father asking him for forgiveness as Unit-01 crushed him. Shirou being killed by Avenger, Saber dying at the hands of the former Assassin, everything and everyone he knew just dying or leaving him._

**_So hate. Hate them. Hate the world. Hate your father for abandoning you. Hate your mother for knowing this would happen. Hate God himself for allowing the events to unfold. Give into hate, and there will be no more hurt. You'll strike before anything dares to hurt you. Give into ME. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. HaTE! HATE! HATE! HATE! HATE!_**

**_I am the sum of your and the world's sins given form._**

_A heavily tattooed teenager muttered, appearing in front of Shinji. He was dressed in red pieces of cloth, his head covered in a mass of black hair and his mouth twisted in a small, sad smirk._

**_Like you, I have experienced the worst of humanity. So why do you resist giving into the hate that I embrace and embody? You are my equal in every way. So give in. You are just like me. Hate like me. Loath humanity like I do. See the sins they perform every waking moment like I do. Make them suffer for them. Bring forth that glorious moment like you have done before. Hate. Hate. HATE! HATE! HATE THEM ALL!_**

**_Elsewhere (Reality):_**

"STOP IT!" Shinji cried out as he sat up from his bed, panting as sweat rolled down his body. As he looked from side to side and realized there was no one there, the only sound that could be heard was his own breathing and the fan circling overhead.

After a moment of silence, Shinji put his hands over his face and began to cry. This was even more vivid than his previous dreams. He heard, smelled, tasted, and felt everything that he had experienced. It was too much. The dreams were becoming too much. Shinji had tried to be strong for years. He had thought that he had conquered his inner demons but…

…Those demons were coming back for round two.

**_Elsewhere (Emiya Residence):_**

Luvia looked at Shirou from the doorframe. He was kneeling besides Saber's body, his expression almost blank as he watched his Servant sweat and breath heavily inside of the futon she laid in. Assassin had dropped them in just an hour ago, Saber unconscious and Shirou looking like he was in a middle of a panic attack. The Servant had then left with Tsubaki to God knew where. She had sent Lancer to shadow them of course, in case they got themselves into trouble.

After all, she didn't want to make Shirou feel worse because of Assassin dying right after they lost Sakura.

_"This is why I wanted to go with him." _Luvia thought bitterly to herself as she clutched the doorframe even harder. _"If I had been with them, perhaps…"_ Perhaps what? From what Shirou had briefly told them, it would not have prevented Caster's death or Sakura's following kidnapping. Not that she minded one of the enemy Servants biting the dust after she had caused so many problems, but still, Kuzuki-sensei was dead. While she knew right before she had summoned Lancer that people would die in the Holy Grail War, she had never expected anyone she knew to die (except for Tohsaka, she would have had it coming). While she had never been close to the man, the very fact remained that someone she knew had _died_ and was never coming back._ "No, nothing would have changed. I probably would have been taken with Matou as well. Or perhaps even killed. Then Shirou would have been hurt even more."_ Luvia thought glumly to herself before Maiya walked up to her.

"You were only healed moments ago and now you're walking about. You should know better Shirou. Putting stress on your body will only make it sore tomorrow." Maiya informed Shirou, who did not even turn around to face her.

"…It's the priest who did all this, isn't it?" Shirou asked, making Maiya grimace.

"Shirou…" Maiya began, only for Shirou to turn around and glare at her.

"He is, isn't he!?" Shirou asked once again, only for Maiya not to answer. "What are you hiding from me Maiya-san? Why won't you tell me who the bastard that made Caster think that we were trying to kill her is?"

"Shirou…" Saber said weakly from her position, making Shirou turn to her. "…I wish to make the ones who manipulated Caster to such a degree pay as well, but acting rashly will only…" Saber then grimaced, making Shirou place his hand on hers.

"Stop talking! You and I can both tell that it only hurts you more!" Shirou shouted, making Saber nod. As he sighed, he turned to Luvia and Maiya before saying, "I-I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's just that… Caster and Kuzuki-sensei are dead and now Avenger has Sakura."

"It's strange…" Luvia muttered as she placed her hand under her chin. "From what Maiya has told me, the Origin Bullet should have destroyed all of his Master's Circuts and killed her. On the offhand chance that she did survive, the damage would have been so extreme that she would not be able to properly supply Avenger with Prana. Yet he was able to use that strange spear to kill Caster and take off with Matou. Such a feat would have significantly drained Avenger."

"So you think his Master is using her Command Seals to have Avenger take Sakura and kill Caster?" Shirou asked, only for Luvia to shake her head.

"No, it would have been a waste of Command Seals and she never encountered Souichirou. Both the manipulation and the kidnapping intertwine, so it is possible that Avenger got a new Master and whoever it is, this person is the one pulling the strings." Luvia answered, frowning as Shirou just clenched his hands at the information. "But Shirou, do not blame yourself. If you had acted against Avenger, both you and Matou would have died."

"…I know." Shirou muttered as he turned back to face Saber. He knew that he would have died if he had provoked Avenger, but maybe… just maybe… if he had distracted Avenger long enough, Assassin might have been able to save Sakura. If that had happened, Shirou's only regret would have been that he was leaving everyone behind. But the fact that he had been able to save Sakura would have been worth it. He then looked at Saber, frowning before asking, "Did you find out what's wrong with her?"

Luvia nodded before looking at Maiya, who gave her a look that said 'you tell him this, not me' and saying, "Saber is suffering from Prana depletion. Most likely from the relatively weak Master-Servant connection you have. After all, she was not summoned under normal circumstances."

"What happens if she does not get Prana soon?" Shirou asked, only for Luvia to look away.

"She will disappear, Shirou. A Servant cannot exist without Prana, and thus she will slowly but surely fade from existence if this continues." Maiya answered for Luvia, making Shirou's eyes go wide. Saber would… disappear? Somehow, that seemed impossible to Shirou. The swordswoman always seemed to hold an aura of power, and she never ran away from the battles she had. She stood her ground against the likes of Avenger, Assassin, and even Berserker. So for her to go out like this, after fighting against Caster, was almost unthinkable.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Shirou asked, getting a weak nod from Luvia.

"Y-yes there is. There are two options, considering that Saber is not Caster." Luvia replied while holding up two fingers. "The first option is that she consumes human souls."

"…What?" Shirou asked in shock before glaring at Luvia. "Why would something like that…?"

"Human souls contain Od, which hold huge amounts of Prana in them. If Saber were to perhaps take two or three, she would return to full strength." Maiya responded, only for Saber to weakly shake her head.

"I-I will not do that. You will have to use a Command Seal before I perform such an act!" Saber yelled, albeit weakly, making Luvia nod while sighing.

"I knew you would say that, which means…" A huge blush then appeared on Luvia's face before she stuttered out. "W-We h-have to perform a r-ritual so that Shirou c-can exchange his Prana to you d-directly…" Luvia then looked away, steam seemingly coming out of her hears while her blush seemed to grow even more, making Shirou blink in confusion.

"I don't understand. How do we…?" Shirou began, only for Maiya to sigh.

"You will have to perform sex with Saber, most likely with either me or Luvia's assistance in the ritual." Maiya said bluntly, making Shirou and Saber gain red-hot blushes on their own. "The ritual requires the exchange of bodily fluids, more specifically semen, which contains Od. Thus, when you perform the act you will transfer your Od to Saber's body."

"I-I need to have sex with Saber…" Shirou muttered as he looked down. This seemed like something out of a bad porno that Shinji had once tried to show him. He then looked at Saber, who had an almost unreadable expression save for a light blush before asking, "A-Are you okay with this…?"

"I-If it helps me protect you to the best of my ability…" Saber muttered as she looked to the side, seemingly equally embarrassed about the situation. It wasn't that she minded performing the act with Shirou. After all, he _was_ attractive and had a physically fit body. But still, in order for her to serve him and fight for him to the best of her ability involved her doing… _that_. "I-I only hope that Maiya knows how to perform the ritual correct-."

"I-I'll do it!" Luvia blurted out, making everyone (minus Shirou, who sighed in relief) stare at her with shock. "I-I have more Magic Circuits than Maiya! The ritual will bring better results under my s-supervision!" Her face only seemed to get redder after saying those words, and who could blame her? Make no mistake, Luvia had always _dreamed_ of sleeping with Shirou. But preferably on their wedding day, and _never_ with _another girl _in the room!

Still, she was going to sleep with Shirou…

_"I-I guess I can experiment a bit…"_ Luvia thought to herself, not even noticing Maiya walk out of the room.

"Do try to keep it down. I wish to get some sleep tonight." Maiya said before closing the door, making everyone in the room blush even more. The room seemed to fall into an awkward silence, no one daring to speak or look at each other.

Shirou broke the silence before asking, "S-so how d-do we…?"

Luvia gulped before saying, "O-Okay. F-first take off your clothes and…"

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake- ****It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview! **

"Come on!" Illyasviel cried out as she threw the computer against a wall, breaking it. "I wanted to see the ritual!"

"My, my…" Taiga giggled out as she smirked at Illyasviel. "I never knew that my student was such a pervert!"

"What? B-but its not… I just…" Illyasviel sputtered out in embarrassment before clutching her head into her hands. "GAAAAHHH!"

"Well, never mind that." Taiga sighed out as she turned to the 'audience'. "What is the next chapter my student?"

"Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'Servants Unchained'!" Illyasviel cried out before looking down in shame. "Please forget what you just heard from me…"

"CHECK IT OUT!" Taiga cheered out while pumping her fist into the air.

**Note-**** Yo! It's your pal TIM here with a new chapter of Stay Away, fresh from the oven and checked over by Sir Godot! Now, I know that a lot of my readers are commenting on how stupid Caster's death was. Yes, I know it was OOC for her. But let me assure you guys that I do EVERYTHING for a reason! What reason, you may ask? Well, you'll just have to keep reading this fic and see!**

**Also yes, SHIROU GOT HIS THREESOME/PRANA EXCHANGE RITUAL! Please cheer for the man who got a blonde for each arm for the night! Damn it, why do Anime/Manga characters have to be so much better than us in love lives? **

**Anyway, I'm working on a partnership fic with RealmOfEmptiness. It's a Casshern Sins/Sora no Otoshimono fic titled "_Heaven of Sinners_" He just published it, so go check it out and don't forget to review. You can find the link on my profile along with my challenges and challenge takers. **

**And do not forget to check out Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and add on or update anything you think may apply. **

**Also review! Reviews fuel my muse, so the more reviews the faster I am inclined to update. So get your fingers a workout and review! **

**…Please? **


	17. Servants Unchained

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

_Luvia blinked as she found herself in a cold, dark room. The only light in it was emanating from a lone tube in the center of the circular room that was filled with an orange liquid, three people standing in front of. One was an old man in a brown uniform, his eyes only holding the barest hint of regret as bubbles blocked them from seeing whatever was inside of the tube. Next to him was a brown-haired Japanese woman wearing a lab coat as she wrote down notes on a piece of paper held by a clip board, her eyes showing nothing but calculated interest. And finally, there was a man that looked like…_

_"Ikari?" Luvia thought before shaking her head. "No, he's older, and the facial hair style is wrong. Perhaps he is a relative of Ikari, but who would wear those ridiculous glasses?"_

_Luvia knew where she was now._

_She was in Lancer's memories._

_And thus, Luvia looked on in keen interest as the bubbles inside of the tube cleared out, revealing a naked child inside with blue hair and red eyes. The men spoke quick, hushed words to each other before the scene faded out. Now, Luvia saw the girl walking around in a maze-like complex, never interacting with people or people trying to interact with her. They were disturbed by her appearance, which was why they tried to avoid her. Thus, the girl never got to bond with others._

_Except for one man._

_Commander Ikari._

_She cared for him. Perhaps she thought of him as her father? She did not know. But she could not stand to see him bothered or disrespected by others. The girl attempted to stay close to him, even if he did not know it. Which was why one day, she overheard him saying the brown-haired scientist was growing old and that he was tiring of her. Wishing for him to be happy, she repeated the message to the brown-haired scientist._

_Luvia gasped in shock and disgust as the woman choked the life out of Lancer, snapping her neck before sanity returned to her. After realizing what she had done, the woman performed suicide. Her body turned to little more than jelly when it hit the ground, the Commander looking coldly at her before telling the old man to 'prep up the next one'._

_Luvia now found herself back in the circular room, where another Lancer was floating in the tube. The girl now understood. She was one of many. She was but one clone, and if she died another one would take her place. That very fact was… depressing. But she now had a goal. Oh yes, she existed only to complete the Commander's wish. She was a hybrid of both the Commander's former wife, and of the enemy known as 'Lilith'. Her existence was the key to unlocking the final stage of human evolution. Everyone would become one and be happy through instrumentality, and the Commander would be with his wife who was trapped inside the being known as Evangelion. She now lived for this one goal, and would do everything in her power to see it through._

"How can being part of that… that _thing_ be happiness?!"_ Luvia shouted as the scene melted away. Instrumentality sounded like something out of a nightmare. Being locked in a dream-like world and being a part of everyone? Losing one's own individuality, the thing that made them unique? She would rather die than loose something like that!_

_Time moved on. She trained day in and day out in preparation for when the Third Angel would come. Days before it was due to arrive, she stepped into her Evangelion, Unit-00, to activate it and be ready._

_But Unit-00 did not want to serve her._

_Unit-00 felt hatred for her, but its hatred was small compared to the sheer malice it felt towards the Commander._

_So, when activated, it attempted to hurt the Commander. Luckily, they had prepared for something like this and ejected her from the cockpit. Unfortunately, the metal tub crashed numerous times on the ceiling. Her bones broke and her skin was cut with every blow until it ended. The next thing she knew, the Commander opened the hatch, smiling at the fact that she was alive, despite his hands being burnt and glasses broken._

_The girl kept them as a memento to the one person who cared for her._

_However, only a few days later the Fourth Angel arrived. She could do nothing as explosions rocked the base and the employees panicked. The Commander called her, saying that her replacement was useless. She did not say anything as the doctors rolled her gurney in front of Unit-01. But she did see a boy who looked so much like the Commander. Their eyes met, and she saw confusion, fear, and… dйjа vu?_

_She did not have any time to think as another explosion rocked the base, making her fall off the gurney and onto the ground. The boy ran to her, picked her up gently but still made her gasp in pain._

_Next thing she knew, the boy accepted becoming a Pilot._

_They did not meet until the next morning, as she passed by him on her way to her medical room. Their eyes met again, only this time she saw sadness and longing. The next time she saw him, it was in class. He kept taking small looks to her, but paid it no mind. After all, her appearance always brought some garnered curiosity from others. Not long after that, two of her classmates brought him outside, and one of them punched him. Afterwards, he went to the roof and continued to listen to his SDAT player before she informed him of an Angel attack._

_She watched as he fearfully attacked the Angel, only winning by disobeying orders. This confused her. Why would he do something like that? But in the end, the Angel was defeated. Days later, he came to her residence to give her a new ID card. He picked up the Commander's glasses and put them on. She walked out of her shower, seeing him look at her in shock as she walked up to snatch them away. He tripped, and grasped her breast as he stared at her eyes._

_It was pleasant, but still uncomfortable._

_He refused to trust the Commander, his own father, about anything. She did not understand. How could he not understand his own father and the kindness he had? She slapped him for the offense._

_It did not make her feel better._

_Then, the Sixth Angel came. The battle was long. Her own Evangelion was heavily damaged from defending Pilot Ikari. As she lay in her plug, she clutched the Commander's glasses. But this time, Pilot Ikari came to her rescue. He cried for her, worried about her safety. He told her to smile._

_She complied._

_Since then, she felt a… warm… feeling for him. She even felt anger towards Pilot Shikinami for getting close to him. But, the thing she wanted most was to see both him and the Commander to get along. To be happy. To be… a family. She did not know why, but it hurt her to see the Commander acting so cold towards Pilot Ikari. She even planned to make a dinner for them and Pilot Ikari's friends. She even invited Pilot Shikinami. When Unit-03 came, she was grateful that Pilot Shikinami would test it so that the dinner could continue._

_But then things went horribly wrong._

_An Angel was hidden on the Eva. It took control of it, and Pilot Ikari was forced to fight it. The Commander activated the Dummy Plug system, something she had had a part in creating, and almost killed Pilot Shikinami while Pilot Ikari begged him to stop. After the battle was over, Pilot Ikari attacked headquarters in a fit of rage and would have destroyed half of it if not for the Commander ordering the pressure in his plug to increase._

_She never knew she could feel anger at the Commander until that moment._

_Pilot Ikari refused to pilot anymore. He even threw away his SDAT player, but she kept it. So that she could remember him when he left. The Tenth Angel came afterwards, carving a path of holy destruction as it made its way to headquarters. An unknown pilot in Pilot Shikinami's Eva fought against it, but fell. She herself attempted to destroy it with an N2 mine, so that Pilot Ikari would never have to pilot the Evangelion again._

_But she failed, and the Angel absorbed her into its essence. She was trapped, helpless. No one could save her, for she could only live in the Angel's core._

_But Pilot Ikari came. He awakened the Evangelion and used its god-like power to try and save her._

_Luvia gasped as she watched Unit-01 grow wings of light and become covered in energy as the humongous blood-red version of Lancer was absorbed into the blood-red core. The ground itself buckled, gravity lost its meaning, and the sky turned red. Luvia understood what that moment was._

_The end of the world._

_But a lance fell from the heavens and pierced Unit-01. The disruption of energy killed Pilot Ikari instantly, and all she could do was hold his soul in her arms as both she and him began to fade away._

_She could only wish for one thing at that very moment as her soul was pulled to the Throne of Heroes._

_That she, Pilot Ikari, the Commander, that _everyone_ could be happy. That none of these events occurred, and instead they could live simple lives. There would be no Angels, no Evangelions, no threats of eminent death. Just… peace._

_Luvia groaned as more images flashed through her head. She now saw Lancer (but for some reason, her mind was denying the girl to be Lancer) piloting a strange replica of Unit-00 to rescue Ikari and a grey haired boy from a floating fortress. She saw Ikari denying Lancer(?)'s very existence. And finally, she saw the girl floating in the tube where this dream had started. And… another Lancer in her casual clothes staring at the girl with pity and sadness in her eyes._

_That is where the dream stopped._

**_Reality:_**

Luvia blearily opened her eyes at that moment, the rays of the morning sun making her blink twice. Only one thought went through her mind.

_"What an unfamiliar ceiling…"_

Luvia then closed her eyes as she attempted to shift to a more comfortable position. For some reason, her pillow was very hard….

"Guh…" The 'pillow' groaned, making Luvia freeze up. Pillows didn't groan! Curiously, she opened her eyes and lifted her head to see a sleeping Shirou minus clothes, giving her a good view of his…

_"I-I made love with Shirou?"_ Luvia asked herself in shock before her mind squealed out, _"I MADE LOVE WITH SHIROU!"_

Even though this was not how she had… planned to get Shirou, she had always been one to adapt. With luck, she would get pregnant and Shirou would have to marry her! He would then learn of his love for her, and they would spend a happy life together with their child!

It was foolproof!

With that in mind, Luvia closed her eyes and prepared to fall back asleep. At least until Shirou woke up and discovered her.

Then another, more female groan (or a 'gao' to be exact) was heard by her, making Luvia open her eyes and look to the other side of Shirou to see an equally naked Saber cuddling Shirou's right side.

Then, the memories flowed back into her head.

"GYYYAAAHHH!" Luvia screamed out, making Shirou's eyes snap open and look around the room wildly. Next to him, Saber leapt to her feet holding an imaginary sword.

"What, what's happenin-?" Shirou began, only to see Luvia naked and pointing her finger at something behind him while gaping. Shirou's eyes then widened as he looked down to see that he was naked as well before shouting, "GAH!"

"Shirou, what are you…?" Saber began to ask before seeing both her Master and Luvia naked, idly noticing that the room was pretty breezy as well. She looked down to see her naked body as well before looking back up, staring blankly as Shirou attempted to find his underwear and Luvia just kept pointing at her. Then, after the second that it took for her mind to register the situation, her entire body heated up and turned beat red as she quickly sat down and covered her body with the blankets.

Suddenly the door burst open, Assassin flying in with it as the door passed over the three before jumping off and landing on the floor in a crouch. "Guys! What's going…?" Assassin shouted, his eyes widening as he saw Luvia and Saber naked. He too joined the general shouting then. "Gh-Gh—GHHHAAAAAA!"

"Guh… buh… huh…?" Luvia blurted out as she continued to point at Saber and Shirou, not even noticing Assassin's entrance.

"Black*Star! What are you…?" Tsubaki began with a worried expression on her face. Then he noticed the scene of Shirou frantically trying to dress himself, Saber trying to have the sheets cover herself as much as possible, Luvia still naked and looking both bewildered and horrified, and finally Assassin shouting his head off as blood leaked from his nose. Tsubaki blushed before shouting, "BLACK*STAR OUT!" She then ran into the room and began to push her partner out with her eyes closed. "OUT! OUT OUT! _OUT!"_

As they both rushed passed Lancer, the Servant observed the scene before saying, "Ah, you are in the middle of courtship." She then bowed slightly before saying, "Forgive me. Please continue."

**_A Few Minutes Later:_**

Shirou shifted uncomfortably as he sat at the table, Luvia at his right side and Saber on his left. Luvia was still as red as a tomato as she stared at the table while Saber looked to the side, equally red, finding the floor extremely interesting. Lancer was next to Luvia, still blank-faced as she stared at the three of them expectantly while Tsubaki, who was near Saber, was shifting uncomfortably as well.

Assassin was at the corner of the room, his head covered in bandages thanks to the amount of Shuriken Tsubaki had imbedded into him from embarrassment. So he laid there, pretty much forgotten by everyone else.

_"…This is not really how I planned to lose my virginity…" _Shirou thought to himself as he looked at Maiya, who was on the other end of the table and was sipping her coffee with closed eyes. Truth be told, it hadn't been a bad way to lose it. Hell, if he told Issei, his friend would probably try to kill him out of jealousy. But he was expecting to at least get a girlfriend and spend a few years with her before moving onto sex.

"So, Edelfelt…" Maiya began, snapping Shirou out of his thoughts. "…Was the ritual a success?"

Luvia's face turned even redder before she stuttered out, "Y-yes! I-It was… I-I mean it went off without a problem. S-Saber should have her f-full power now…"

Saber, seeming to register the attention focusing on her, slowly nodded before saying, "I-Indeed. I feel as I did when I was first summoned. I am perhaps near the level I was when I was Kiritsugu's Servant."

Luvia noticed Saber's hands clench and unclench in obvious discomfort. Those soft yet firm hands that had embraced her, and those dexterous fingers that…

"GAH!" Luvia screamed, making everyone jump in their seats (Minus Lancer). _"What the Hell am I thinking? Why am I remembering THAT now!?"_

"Are you well, Master?" Lancer asked, making Luvia turn to her. Although her face did not show it, Lancer's eyes conveyed a sense of worry.

_Red eyes… wings of light… Human Instrumentality…_

"…I'm fine Lancer. I-It's nothing…" Luvia replied before looking away. She knew that she could not hate Lancer. The Servant had been nothing but loyal to her since she had been summoned. And although her actions were socially awkward (including her lack of caring if anyone can see her naked!), she was kind.

But Lancer's memories… they _unnerved_ Luvia. Lancer was pretty much the scientific equivalent of a homunculus, part human and part Type-whatever the Angels were. Her entire _purpose_ in _existing_ was to be a trigger for… instrumentality. But while those facts were disturbing, they also made Lancer seem more human to her.

Like any other girl, she had been in love with a younger Ikari. Her very _outlook_ on life had changed with his arrival. And although it was still up to debate if it was incest, Lancer truly cared for the boy a percentage of her DNA was related to. In fact, she had been willing to _die_ for him so that he wouldn't have had to pilot that… that… _monster_ again.

And he had tried to save her, almost causing the end of the world before they had died.

The whole thing, while making Luvia slightly more uncomfortable with Lancer and Ikari, also made her want to give the girl some more interaction with people. Perhaps she could spend a day with her at town once they had rescued Matou? _"Yes, that sounds good…" _Luvia thought to herself with a sigh. _"And, it will get my mind off of what happened with…. With…"_

"…So I think it is in your best interest to seek out Waver Velvet." Maiya's voice reached Luvia's ears, making her look up, only to see Maiya staring calmly at Shirou, who just looked frustrated.

_"J-just how long was I busy thinking!?" _Luvia asked herself, noticing Assassin (Minus his bandages) sitting beside Tsubaki, also deep in thought.

"Yes, but Saber is at full strength now!" Shirou argued, only to receive Maiya's cool stare. "With her, Assassin and Lancer we can find Avenger and get Sakura back!"

"Yes, but from what you have told me about Avenger's Reality Marble, he can create replicas of Noble Phantasms." Maiya informed Shirou before looking at Tsubaki. "Am I incorrect?"

"No, you're not." Tsubaki responded with a slight grimace. "I saw him make a copy of my Ninja Blade Mode, and I swear I could _feel_ my own presence from it. But it was… mechanical I guess? I could never read Soul Wavelengths. However I would bet that Avenger was able to replicate my full abilities."

"Alright." Maiya nodded, her eyes closed in thought. "While Assassin's physical skills may make up for any Noble Phantasm he replicates, it is likely that Avenger has much more experience in combat. Lancer is the only Servant here that has a non-weapon oriented Noble Phantasm, which means that Avenger would make her a priority."

"It is a logical course of action." Lancer agreed with a slight nod of her head. "Remove the biggest possible threat first before moving onto the rest of the group."

"Which is why I suggest that you try to form an alliance with Waver Velvet." Maiya began once again, putting down her cup. "Next to the previous Berserker, Waver Velvet's former Servant Rider…" Saber twitched at that name, her face now becoming sullen. "…was the strongest Servant in the war. Since, from what I have gathered, his new Rider is related to the previous one's legend, it would not be out of the question to say that he is equally strong if not stronger. Not only that, but Rider's Noble Phantasms are not weapon-related. And his primary blade has no true abilities."

Shirou nodded at the information, sighing before getting up. He hated this, but Maiya was right. He _needed_ more numbers before he could rescue Sakura. Charging in head-first would not beat Avenger. "Alright…" Shirou began, his hands clenching into fists. "I'll look around town for a bit. Ayako told me that he likes to hang out there. But if I can't find him around noon, then I'm going for Avenger." He then looked to Saber before asking, "Can you come with me? I need you around in case they just attack me instead."

"Of course, Shirou." Saber said calmly as she got onto her feet, all traces of red now gone from her body. "I am your Servant. I will…" A small blush then appeared on her cheeks before she finished with, "…never leave your side."

With that, the two walked out of the room, opened the front door, and left the house. As soon as the door closed, Assassin got onto his feet before shouting, "An awesome guy like me just can't sit around here moping! We're going too, in case I have to pull Saber out of the fire!" With that, Assassin ran out of the house. Tsubaki sighed as she picked herself up and ran after the Servant.

"…Lancer, follow Shirou but stay in your spirit form." Luvia spoke, making Lancer nod before disappearing from view. She would _not_ leave Shirou without backup again. Doing something like this had gotten them into the bad situation in the first place. By Lancer being there, hopefully it would prevent another.

Maiya sipped her coffee in silence before setting it down, the drink reflecting her face as she stared at it. She knew that Kotomine Kirei was responsible; there was no question about it. The Familiars around the church had all gone silent, and new ones that tried to get close got killed within thirty feet of it. She knew that Bazette had once worked with Kirei, making it likely that he was Avenger's new Master. And whatever he had planned revolved around Shirou…

…she had to make a call.

**_Elsewhere (Mitsuduri Residence):_**

Waver sighed as he put on his outfit for the day: a pair of black pants, a black shirt, his usual red coat, and black shoes. His body performed the motions, but his mind was elsewhere.

_"Okay, how do I actually go through with this without sounding creepy?"_ Waver thought to himself with slight grimace at what was possibly to come. He never talked with (ordinary) teenage girls on anything other than class-related things. His wife did not count, because she was most definitely _not_ ordinary. Which meant that he would need to think about what to say to Ayako before actually saying it.

Luckily, her parents were at work, meaning that they would not be around for the most likely extremely embarrassing conversation that was about to come.

_"Crap, why do I have to deal with this…?" _Waver thought to himself with a groan. _"I'm beginning to think that life was simpler when I was a teenager… damn, I'm sounding old…"_

"Husband, what is the matter?" Cristina asked, now looking at Waver with worried eyes. "You do not seem well…"

"Just thinking." Waver muttered as he began to stretch. "Don't really want to talk about it."

"Aw, come on husband!" Cristina whined out before lying down on the bed. "I'm your wife! You can tell me anything!"

"…" Waver stared into Cristina's curious eyes before sighing. When she got like this, he had to give her an answer. Otherwise, she would not stop bugging him for an answer until she got one. "Alright." Waver muttered with a scowl. "I think Ayako has a crush on me."

"Isn't that good?" Cristina asked with a grin while tilting her head. "It's natural that she would be attracted to you. After all, you are very manly husband. And an addition to your harem is…"

"Cristina, I'm not a pedophile." Waver told his wife bluntly, making her blink in shock. "She's still a teenager, and this crush of hers is getting way out of hand. I'm hoping to put an end to it."

"…Oh." Cristina muttered, a bead of sweat now forming on the back of her head.

"Which is why I'm going to talk to her." Waver continued, now beginning to head for the door. "Hopefully, I can put this all to rest with…"

"I'll talk to her!" Cristina declared, suddenly shooting up from the bed. "I-It would be better if I had this discussion with her! After all, I am your wife!"

_"Wait…"_

In a normal situation, Cristina would do everything in her power to make whatever girl she found one of his 'mistresses'.

So why was she trying to ward away _this_ one, who he said had a crush on him?

"…What are you hiding Cristina?" Waver asked, making Cristina blink.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about hu-"

"Don't lie to me Cristina. You would _never_ try to ward away a potential 'mistress'." Waver declared, making Cristina begin to fidget. "What makes this one so different?"

"N-Nothing! Absolutely nothing! I-I just…" Cristina stuttered out, only for Waver to narrow his eyes.

"…Did you do something to Ayako?" Waver asked, making Cristina's face turn to one of panic.

"I-I…" Cristina muttered, only for Waver to cross his arms.

Ever since getting his (long overdue) growth-spurt, Waver had learned how to scare answers from both careless students and arrogant colleagues. While it usually worked better with a cigar in his mouth, he was sure he could at least get close enough to replicate the effect.

Apparently it worked, because Cristina took a step back in fear before sputtering out, "S-she came into your room and discovered Volumen! I-I had to manipulate her memories, and I-I thought that it would help her if s-she was truer to her feelings! S-so I…"

_"My god…"_

It made perfect sense.

Ayako's changed attitude towards him. The overnight change from a young and confident woman into a hormone-crazy teenage girl who apparently masturbated to him at night…

"…You didn't…" Waver muttered in shock, only for Cristina to look down in shame. "You manipulated her memories to _that_ degree!?"

When one used Memory Manipulation, they could change whatever memories they saw fit. Usually, Magi only used it to make any regular human that stumbled across them forget what had happened and replaced the memories with something else. But if one were to change _enough_ memories, or heighten any feelings that were felt during the memory…

…One could change a personality.

"I-I just…" Cristina muttered, only for Waver to interrupt her.

"Are you _fucking_ insane!?" Waver shouted, making Cristina shrink back. "Memory Manipulation should _only_ be used to protect our status as Magi and nothing more! How could you _do _that to Ayako? She's a teenager for God's sake! What if something went wrong? What if you messed up? She could be a _vegetable_ because you thought I wanted a _fucking_ teenage girl as part of my _harem_!? I never even wanted one to begin with!" Cristina's eyes widened at the revelation while Waver continued. "You want to know what I do every time you make me sleep in one of the maid's rooms? I go to sleep on one of their chairs and apologize because of _you!_ I have to beg every woman you try to drag into the place for forgiveness because you think I want another mistress! But I handled it; I kept my mouth shut because I care for you! But for you to pull off something like this…"

"I-I…" Cristina muttered with tears forming in her eyes, only for Waver to turn around and head for the door.

"I'm going out to clear my head! When I get back…" He then opened the door and walked out of the room. "…Ayako better be back to normal!" Not even waiting for a reply, Waver slammed the door closed.

"Don't you think you were too hard on her?" Rider asked calmly, making Waver look to see Rider leaning against the wall with his eyes narrowed.

Waver sighed before walking down the steps, Rider following him as they headed to the front door.

"Waver-san?" Ayako asked as she poked her head out of the kitchen. "What are you…"

"Talk to Cristina. She has something for you." Waver instructed before opening the door and leaving the house. Rider closed the door behind him, and walked up beside Waver as he took out his cigar case and popped one in his mouth. The magus then pulled out his lighter and a short moment later took in a deep breath of tobacco-filled smoke. "…Yeah, I kind of was."

"So why did you yell at her?" Rider asked, only for Waver to shake his head.

"You have to understand, while I messed with the Mackenzie's memories to stay at their place I never tried to change who they were. It is wrong on so many levels to even try." Waver told Rider, who kept on listening. "But this… what Cristina did was wrong. I freaked out, and well… you heard what happened."

"…I have to admit, this is the first time I heard a couple fight." Rider mentioned, his hands now in his pants' pockets. "Me and Nia never fought when we were together. And I don't think that Dayakka ever fought with his wife either. It just… kind of shocked me."

"Yeah, this was my first fight to." Waver muttered as he put the cigar back into his mouth. "Hopefully it will be my last. I'll apologize to her later, but right now I need to clear my head."

"…If you say so…" Rider muttered before walking beside Waver.

**_Elsewhere (Shinji's Apartment):_**

Shinji just sat on his living room chair, staring silently at his cell phone as it lay on the table in front of him. Nothing in the apartment made a sound, save for Shinji shifting in his seat.

Taiga was busy at her grandfather's place. She had told him that he needed help with moving some things and wanted her company. She had invited him, but he had declined and feigned sickness. He didn't want to see her right now.

Not after the dream.

He thought about contacting Sola-Ui and telling her that the dreams were coming back. She had helped him so much with them during his school years, easing his fears with proof that people cared about him like she did by talking about his past, and sympathizing with him. While they had disappeared over time, Kiritsugu and Maiya had still been suspicious of him, and a small part of his mind had told him that they would come back one day.

For some reason, he couldn't pick up the damn phone and call her himself. Instead, he was just sitting here, waiting for her to call him.

_"Like a coward."_ A small treacherous part of his mind whispered, making Shinji place his hand on top of his head. _"You will always be a coward. Just fucking call her, the damn phone is right in front of you! Or are you running away again? Are you running away from people that actually give a shit about you? Coward. You learned nothing…"_

"Shut up…" Shinji muttered to himself, his face scrunching up in pain. "I'm not running away. I'm…"

_BRING!_

As soon as the phone range, Shinji instantly picked it up and put it to his ear. "Hello?" he asked, his desperateness almost leaking into the phone.

_"Ikari. It is Maiya."_

"Oh…" Shinji muttered in a disappointed tone. While it was not Sola-Ui, at least he had someone to talk to, which was a lot better than just staring at a cell phone all day. "What's wrong? If it's about breakfast, I'm sorry that Taiga-chan and I couldn't make it. You see…"

_"I require your services for an operation."_ Maiya said in a crisp tone over the phone, making Shinji blink. _"At noon, I will head for the Fuyuki Church."_

"What? Why the Hell would you do that!?" Shinji shouted, now standing up. "You know that Kirei will…"

_"Kotomine Kirei is already targeting Shirou."_ Maiya informed Shinji, her tone not changing. _"And Avenger has kidnapped Matou Sakura. I do not know whether Avenger's Master is allied with him, or is possibly dead and he is Avenger's new Master. Either way, I wish to end whatever plan he has before it begins. I need _you_, because you are my only line of defense for Avenger."_

"But why me?" Shinji asked, now gripping the phone harder. "Why not have Saber or Lancer…?

_"Shirou… must not know about this."_ Maiya hesitantly said, making Shinji's eyes widen. _"If he did, he would put himself in danger to assist me. No, it must be us that end this."_

"…" Shinji said nothing, and instead looked at his photos. He saw Taiga and him, being happy with their friends. Those were the simple times. There were no more Servants, no Evangelions, and no Angels.

But those days had come to an end.

And if Kirei really was targeting Shirou, who was to say that Taiga was not a target as well?

"Alright. I'll meet you there."

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Church):_**

Sakura blearily opened her eyes, expecting Sempai, Assassin, or Tsubaki to be fretting over her. She expected to hear that Sempai and Saber had saved her at the last second before Avenger took off.

She did not expect to see Avenger sitting in a chair right in front of her, a forlorn look on his face.

Sakura bolted up and began to scoot away stuttering out, "A-Avenger!"

"Relax, I won't hurt you." Avenger said with a sigh as he closed his eye. "And I know there isn't anything you could do to hurt me either."

Sakura clenched her hands in anger and fear. Anger at herself for actually getting captured by Avenger and fear at what he had planned for her.

"Gh!" A grunt was let out from behind her, making Sakura turn to see…

_"Avenger's Master?"_ Sakura thought before looking down at the woman's sleeping form. She looked relatively alright. Sakura thought it would have been worse after what Maiya had told her and Luvia had happened. In fact she… _"Wait, where's her left hand?"_ Sakura thought, noticing the missing appendage before looking at Avenger in shock.

"She couldn't supply me with the necessary Prana for my full capabilities, I had to be given a…" Avenger seemed to sneer at the next words that came out of his mouth. "…new _Master_."

"B-But she was your Master!" Sakura argued, pointing at Bazette. "S-she trusted you!"

"Believe me, it was not my first choice but changing Masters was the best solution for the situation Emiya Shirou put me in. I had no other option." Avenger informed her, making Sakura gape at the Servant. "But now I have the Prana necessary to continue in the Holy Grail War."

Sakura could not believe the Servant's… _coldness_ towards betraying someone who counted on him. Did that statement mean that in the end, it would not matter to him if his Master lived or died, so long as he had a shot at the Grail?

"S-Sempai and the others will come." Sakura stuttered out while glaring at Avenger. "They will come, and beat you!"

"I know. Emiya Shirou would _never_ leave you as someone's hostage." Avenger said, now with his eye narrowing. "And I am counting on him coming."

"Why? Why would you want him to come?" Sakura asked, only for Avenger to shake his head.

"Because he's an idiot who wants to become a hero." Avenger coldly said to Sakura. "When someone is like that, the sooner they get killed the better. So it's better to put him out of his misery now before he finds out what it _really_ means to become a hero."

"How do you know that?" Sakura asked, now looking into Avenger's eye. "Who are you?"

Sakura's purple eyes stared into Avenger's grey one.

It was cold, calculating, and had… regret inside?

They say eyes are a window into a man's soul. And this one's soul was like rusted steel at its breaking point. But Sakura saw something… familiar… in Avenger's eye.

Something she knew well.

Something that was colored amber instead of grey.

Something that smiled and always helped her make breakfast and dinner.

Sakura's eyes widened before she muttered, "…Sempai?"

Then she promptly passed out on her bed.

Avenger looked at her for a couple of minutes in silence before muttering out, "Not the one you know…"

**_In Town:_**

Emiya Shirou was annoyed.

Scratch that. He was beyond annoyed and irritated.

He and Saber had been walking around the shopping district aimlessly for about a good two hours, and _still_ had not seen hide or hair of Waver Velvet or even Rider. Saber herself had confirmed that she could not sense Rider, which made him even more agitated. Every moment that he wasted looking for the Holy Grail War veteran was another minute that Sakura was in Avenger and his Master's clutches.

_"Damn it…"_ Shirou thought as people passed both him and Saber, who was thankfully in her casual clothes, with a scowl on his face. Why did he agree to Maiya's plan again? Oh yeah! It was so that he could have a non-weapon based Noble Phantasm Servant to help out in their battle against Avenger. While Waver Velvet sounded like an okay guy from Ayako, who was to say that this was his real personality? What if he had just hypnotized his non-Magi classmate so that he _appeared_ nice to anyone who asked about him? _"Can't believe I'm even doing this. We should just go the church and demand answers from that damn priest!"_

Shirou did not know how, but the church overseer was heavily involved in the whole situation. Was he partners with Avenger's new Master or something? Either way, that priest was going to answer his questions one way or another…

"Shirou, please relax." Saber spoke, making him look to her. "You are drawing unwanted attention towards us."

_"…Crap…"_ Shirou thought, now noticing the stares given in his direction before awkwardly smiling and scratching the back of his head. With their source of discomfort gone, the citizens went about what they were doing before while Shirou sighed in relief. "Sorry about that…"

"I know you are upset Shirou." Saber began, looking at Shirou straight in his eyes. "But we _will_ make Avenger and his Master pay for their actions."

"…We'll look around for another hour…" Shirou muttered as he looked away. "If we can't find them by then, we're going for Sakura anyways."

Saber nodded in agreement before she tensed up and got in front of Shirou. "A Servant is approaching here."

"Is it Rider?" Shirou asked, his eyes widening only for Saber to shake her head.

"I am not entirely sure. However, the Servant hold's great power…" Saber muttered, making Shirou clench his fists as people kept passing them. After a second, he spotted a red jacket mixed into the crowd of people approaching them. In the next second, the crowd cleared to reveal Waver Velvet with his eyes closed smoking a cigar and Rider walking beside him.

Rider looked at them, blinking before asking, "Saber?"

_That _made Waver's eyes snap open before observing the Master-Servant pair in front of them. "Huh. Didn't expect to see you here," the two times Master said while also thinking, _"Once again, real smooth Velvet."_

Shirou gulped the saliva that had built up in his mouth before saying, "W-we were actually looking for you…"

"If you're looking for a fight Saber, I won't go easy on you." Rider declared, his expression now dead serious. "But first, we need to find some place a lot more…"

"Wait! We don't want to fight you!" Shirou shouted, making both Waver and Rider blink in surprise. "I-I just want to talk…"

"We wish to open up negotiations with you two." Saber spoke, her tone now crisp as she observed the two. "If you are willing, that is…"

"Huh…" Waver muttered as he placed his right hand under his chin in thought. This was not how he had actually planned to spend the afternoon. He had been hoping to just walk around town peacefully as he cooled his head over what happened with Cristina, but why not? If the negotiations were successful, then he might gain some allies. And if Saber decided to attack them like Lancer had… _"Rider can beat her. She is no Berserker or Lancer, that's for sure."_ "Alright, let's talk here." Waver said with a nod while thumbing to the restaurant behind him.

To be fair, he hadn't had breakfast yet.

"Very well." Saber agreed while Shirou gave a hesitant nod. The four then entered the restaurant, where a waitress greeted them before bringing them to their seats. It was a good location for a private conversation. It was in a booth at the corner of the restaurant, with the other occupants engaged in their own conversations. The four sat down, Saber next to Shirou and Rider next to Waver.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" The waitress asked, her eyes scanning the rather… unusual group.

"I'll have some coffee." Waver told her with a polite smile, to which the waitress jotted down on her little notebook before turning to Rider.

"I guess I'll have… Coca-Cola." Rider announced, making the waitress repeat the process before turning to Saber and Shirou.

"I-I don't want anything We're only going to be in here for a few minutes." Shirou told the waitress, who nodded before leaving the group to their own devices.

"Okay, so what do you want to talk about?" Waver asked, making Shirou tense before clenching his fists.

"Avenger… he kidnapped Saku… a friend of mine." Shirou muttered, to which Waver looked at him with a neutral expression and waited for him to continue. "He did it after he killed Caster. I-I was hoping that you could help us get her back."

"So it was Avenger that killed Caster…" Rider muttered, his expression now becoming dark. "Makes sense. I saw what he could do with Noble Phantasms when he fought Caster." He then looked at Saber before asking, "But why would he kidnap your friend?"

"She's Assassin's Master." Waver declared, making Shirou blink in surprise. "I recognized the Edelfelt heir as Lancer's Master, because she was the one most shocked about Lancer's 'death'. Then there was that other girl that you were with at the temple. Since Assassin was obviously on your side, which would make her his Master." He then placed his right hand on the table and beat his fingers onto it. "I'll be truthful with you; I'm a bit hesitant in actually helping you, since Lancer tried to kill us a couple of days ago…"

That was an understatement. One of this boy's allies attacked him and Rider, fully intent on killing them, only to come for their help? The whole situation was more than sketchy in Waver's opinion…

"Lancer attacked you out of her own will, not her Master's." Saber declared with a frown. "If you agree to this alliance, I can assure you that none of us will try to bring harm to you."

"I can believe that." Rider told Waver with a smirk as he crossed his arms. "She doesn't seem like the lying type."

"Your drinks, sirs." The waitress declared, now appearing in front of their table, handing Waver his mug of coffee and Rider his soda before leaving. Waver grabbed the sugar and cream before pouring a little bit of both in his coffee. Once it was a murky brown he took a sip while Rider happily drank from his straw.

He sat down the mug before saying, "Alright, we'll help you on one condition." Shirou hesitantly nodded, making Waver continue. "After Avenger is dealt with, I want you to help us with dealing with Berserker."

"I thought we were going to take care of him on our own?" Rider asked, making Waver shake his head.

"There is never such a thing as too much help. Besides, I think Saber's Noble Phantasm can help us out with Berserker's regeneration." Waver informed the Servant before looking back at Shirou. "We have a deal?"

"What?" Shirou asked before glaring at Waver. "No. I can convince Illyasviel to stop fighting. I know I can. I just need to…"

"Look, kid…" Waver began while glaring at Shirou. "I only saw her _once_ and I could tell she wanted to kill you. Rider and I saw how she sicked Berserker on you guys _specifically_. If you want to actually talk to her, you have to help us get rid of Berserker. Without him, she has nothing to turn you into a bloody smear on the wall if he kills Saber. Otherwise, she won't willingly listen to a word you have to say."

Shirou looked down in shame as he thought the information over. While he could argue that she _did_ kind of listen to him the last time they had met, she had also sicked Berserker on him the next moment in denial of the information he had presented. He could not hope to convince her that Kiritsugu did not abandon her.

"…Will you hurt her?" Shirou asked, only for Waver to shake his head.

"Not if I can't help it. Without Berserker, she is helpless unless she knows some offensive spells. But I have something against that."

"… Alright, we have a deal." Shirou declared, making Rider grin while Saber simply nodded her head.

"By the way, Saber…" Rider suddenly spoke, making the Servant turn to him. "I heard from Waver that you met bro in the last war."

"Bro? Do you mean the last Rider?" Saber asked, remembering the loudmouth Servant that had chided her for her ideals and wish. "Yes, I did."

"And he said that bro didn't like your ideals." Rider continued, making Saber look slightly down. "If you don't mind me asking, what were they?"

"…my ideals coincide with my… former wish." Saber announced, making Shirou look at her with interest while Waver continued to sip his coffee. "I wished to save my homeland from destruction. The reason why the destruction happened in the first place was because of my leadership. Thus, I had hoped to use the Holy Grail to…"

"Not become the leader in the first place?" Rider asked, receiving a nod from Saber. "That's kind of dumb."

_"You don't need to be so blunt about it!"_ Shirou thought in anger, only for Saber to glare at him.

"How can you judge _my_ wish Rider? I simply wanted to protect my people. Thousands _died_ because of my actions! Without me, they could have lived! They could have…" Saber began, only for Rider to sigh.

"Saber, I don't know what happened during your life." Rider said truthfully. "But I do know that some of those guys were your comrades, right? Friends maybe? And if you were a leader, they probably died to protect _you_. If you make it so that you were never their leader in the first place, then you are grinding their sacrifices into the dirt."

Saber clenched her fists before saying, "So what is _your_ wish Rider? Tell me, because I remember the former Rider's wish perfectly, and he wanted to come back to life to return to his comrades!"

"Don't have one." Rider said without skipping a beat, ignoring the shocked stares he received from both Saber and Shirou. "I'm just a digger. My place as a hero has already been filled in back in my world, so there isn't really a reason to come back to life. They follow my and bro's dreams, so they can continue on without me. And if I brought anyone back to life, they would just get in the way of the new generation that they sacrificed their lives over."

"T-That's…" Saber muttered with widened eyes while Rider just sighed.

"Look, I'll admit that while bro was everything I wanted to be, he wasn't perfect. _I'm_ not perfect." Rider admitted, now leaning back. "I can't make tough decisions like my friend did during a crisis. By trying to copy bro, I sometimes put everyone's lives and mine at risk. But I _know_ that as a leader, it is my responsibility to become someone for everyone to look up to. To become an ideal that everyone can follow, so that the dream both bro and me had can become everyone's. I lost a lot in life. Including my wife…" _That_ made everyone freeze up. "…But in the end, we ensured that everyone would have a better tomorrow, and that the future we made would never end."

Saber looked down, the shadows hiding her eyes before she got up and left the table, shocking Shirou. "Saber! What are you…" Shirou shouted, only for Waver to place his hand on his shoulder.

"Leave her for a bit. She needs to handle this on her own." Waver informed Shirou, who shrugged off his hand before running towards the direction that Saber had left to. "Kids these days…" Waver muttered before sipping his coffee once more.

**_With Saber:_**

Saber ran.

She ran, not knowing where she was going.

She ran, not caring who stared at her or who she pushed out of her way.

She ran, not trying to fight the tears in her eyes.

_"How could I?"_ Saber thought to herself, now running into an alleyway and leaning against the wall to her left. _"How could I have been so idiotic?"_

She had lived by her ideals and laws since the day she had hid her gender and become the king of the Britons. She had brought order to an order-less Europe, creating laws and fighting wars against invaders. She had dived into battle over and over again while leading her knights to victory after victory. The people had loved her, but she had not given into their praise or love. A king must cast away such things in order to be the perfect ruler.

But that was it.

She had followed rules and ideals, but she had never explained them to her people.

Both Riders had, and most likely had gotten the same amount of adoration as her.

She had had comrades, but she had never truly connected with them.

Both Riders had.

She had wanted the Grail to erase her entire tenure as king from history.

Both Riders believed that doing something like that would insult their comrades' very memories and sacrifices.

How many of her knights had died for her? How many had fought to protect Camelot, and died wishing for the kingdom to live on? How many people had lost hope after she had 'died' since she had never given them any ideals to strive for, thus leading to Camelot's ruin? By doing what she could not, the first Rider's dream had lived on. The Rider now was the living proof that his ideals had not been wrong, and that they had survived even after he had died. And the new Rider even had complete faith in the people he had left behind while she could only regret her actions!

Her wish… her former wish… had never sounded more selfish than in this moment.

"Aw, stop wangsting _Artie_! You aren't supposed to be an emo bitch! That's Shinji's job!" A voice shouted, echoing from further inside of the alleyway.

"Who's there?" Saber shouted, Excalibur's invisible form now appearing in her hands as she slowly walked forward.

"Aw, you mean you don't recognize my voice? I'm hurt _Artie_!" The voice now whined, making Saber narrow her eyes. Something about that voice…

"Stop playing games! Reveal yourself!" Saber exclaimed before a sharp, metallic noise was made. Saber then heard the sound of a fan before smoke began to pour into the alleyway. She looked to her side to see a small smoke machine, vibrating slightly as it poured out more and more of the vision-clouding substance.

"That thing was worth every penny! Really brings out the dramatic mood, don't you think?" The voice asked, a silhouette now appearing in the fog. "How long has it been since we saw each other _Artie_? One whole fanfiction story finished and sixteen chapters of this one?" Steps echoed throughout the entire alleyway before Wade's face broke through the fog, giving a devilish smirk to Saber.

"So tell me, how was your off-screen threesome with the wannabe hero and the rich blond?"

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview! **

"Hello my dear fans!" Taiga shouted happily as she skipped to the 'screen'. "It's been too long! The Taiga Dojo starts now!"

"Sensei!" Illyasviel shouted as she tripped next to Taiga before getting back up. "B-Big news!"

"What? What is it my student?" Taiga asked, only to have Illyasviel shove a newspaper into her hands. "'TIM Working on Partnership One-Shot'? How could he? Doesn't he know that the fans will kill him for not working on…" She was interrupted when an afro-headed samurai passed by them, smoking and not uttering a word to them.

"Aw common man! How can you…" A short, white afro-headed man shouted before noticing the screen and shouting, "We were never here!" He then leapt past Taiga and Illyasviel, the distant shouts of, 'Hold up Afro!' being heard.

"…Just tell them the title of the next chapter." Taiga muttered, visibly paler than before.

"R-right…" Illyasviel muttered before looking at the 'viewers'. "N-Next chapter is 'You Can (Not) Return'!"

"Check it out..." Taiga muttered before fainting from fear.

**Note-**** Yo! It's TIM here with the latest dose of Stay Away, tested and betaed by Sir Godot himself, for all of you guys! God, now I sound like a drug dealer. Anyways, sorry that this came out a little bit late but I've been busy with Far Cry 3. What can I say? Love killing pirates and creating better gear by becoming the equivalent of Anti-Noah. Great free-roaming game and can be seen as a deconstruction of shooter games for anyone who is interested.**

**Also, official news just in! Fate/Zero will be dubbed and will be broadcasted by Neon Alley! Finally! I won't have to shell hundreds of dollars to own this awesome anime! Hopefully, it will be available on Itunes as well like Tiger and Bunny!**

**On a slightly related note, happy birthday Tohsaka Rin! **

**Anyway, yes Wade has returned! I know you all must be shaking with anticipation, but please be patient! And for all of those who were curious about that I was talking about in the Taiga Dojo… well you will have to wait and see. **

**Remember, check out my profile to check over my challenges and PM me if you are interested in taking them. Also, check out my challenge takers' stories and the partnership fics I am currently a part of. And do not be afraid to check out my other stories!**

**Also, check out Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and add anything you think belongs there. I would also like to thank The Zogg, Cerokun, and all the others who took part in making that thing what it is now.**

**And review! Reviews fuel my muse, so the more reviews the better! Give constructive criticism, but do not flame. Nobody likes an asshole. And whatever flames are made will be used to light Wade's flamethrower when he comes looking for you. Now, get those fingers cracking and review!**

**…Please? **


	18. You Can (Not) Return

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Maiya slipped into her black trench coat, making sure that it would hide the SPAS-12 shotgun that was on her back from view. She patted herself to check if all her equipment was on her person one last time.

_"SAS-12… currently loaded with seven shells with twenty-one extra…" _Maiya patted her abdomen, covered in ammo packs ranging from shotgun shells to magazines. _"6P9… loaded with a magazine and eight extra ones in the packs…" _Maiya's hand shortly rested on the gun stored on her right thigh before touching her left wrist. _"One combat knife…"_ Maiya reached into her coat's pockets, rummaging through them. _"Four grenades… I must make them count…"_

This was the one chance she would get to stop Kotomine Kirei before he put into motion whatever it was he had planned for Shirou. The boy did not know of Kirei's existence, other than him being the Church Overseer. Neither she nor Kiritsugu had told him of the (surprisingly still alive) Fourth War veteran. It was for his own safety that he did not know about some of the events that had taken place, including Illyasviel and Kiritsugu's dead wife. And Kirei had not acted against them for years, thus they had only kept an eye on the insane priest. She had a hunch that he would eventually strike, and now her suspicion had been confirmed. Idly, she remembered Kiritsugu's last order to her.

He had given it to her only ten minutes before he had died.

_"Maiya… please… watch over Shirou…"_

Maiya stood quietly in her dark room for a minute, remembering the pleading tone that Kiritsugu, the man she loved, had used. Kiritsugu had become a… broken man after the Fourth War. A shell of the man he once was, especially after every failed attempt of rescuing Illyasviel. He had sometimes dreamed of Irisviel, muttering her name while crying in his room in pain and sadness. It had pained her each and every day that he had pushed her away whenever she had tried to help him forget through sex. He… had hated himself ever since the war. For his ideals, his actions, and his decisions in life.

_"And yet, Shirou was inspired by the very ideals that broke you…"_ Maiya thought to herself in sadness as she walked over to a counter and picked up a bottle of pills marked 'Digoxen'. _"Yet, he is different…"_ Shirou had friends, he was willing to be happy when all it did was cause Kiritsugu pain. With hope, he would not walk the same path that Kiritsugu had.

And she would make sure he would never have to.

"Maiya, can you please tell me where…" Luvia began as she walked into the room unannounced. She then blinked before gaping at Maiya's attire, stuttering out, "M-Maiya! W-What are you…?"

Maiya shot off like a bullet, using her body trained in combat to quickly close the distance between her and Luvia. She then chopped the back of Luvia's neck, making the girl gasp in shock. The blonde's eyes fluttered before she dropped like a sack of potatoes into Maiya's arms, who dragged her to the futon in the center of the room.

_"She should recover in one or two hours…"_ Maiya thought to herself as she pocketed the pill bottle in the pocket of her pants and walked out of the room. She then headed to the front door and opened it, taking a second to look behind her and see the inside of the household before going outside and shutting the door behind her, closing her trench coat as she walked away.

_"Kiritsugu… I will fulfill your order now…"_

**_Elsewhere (Alleyway):_**

Saber's eyes widened slightly as she observed the (admittedly handsome) man in front of her before muttering, "That voice…"

Wade smirked as he unsheathed the two Katanas strapped to his back, saying, "Now come on Artie! You have to remember me! After all, who else reminded you about Merlin's little _Futanari Spell_?"

Saber's eyes shot open at the information reveal. _"No… it couldn't be… he can't still be…"_ "You are…!"

In the blink of an eye, Wade shot forward and jumped over Saber and brought down both of his Katanas; only for Saber to block them with her sword. Sparks flew as the blades grated against one another before Saber used her strength to push the man off.

"Ah, this brings back memories doesn't it Artie?" Wade mused as he back flipped and landed on the floor. "You… me… the Einzbern Castle in Fate:Zero Sense…" He then grinned as he shot even deeper into another alley, laughing out, "Meep, Meep!"

"Assassin!" Saber shouted in anger as she too ran into the second alley, her eyes scanning the area for any hint of the former Servant. _"What is he doing here?"_ Saber thought in anger as her right foot hit a puddle, making the water splash from the impact. _"He should not have survived the past war… could it be that he survived the same way Lancer did?"_

"Think fast Artie!" Wade shouted, making her look up to see Wade on a fire escape's stairwell. He threw five Shuriken at Saber, forcing her to parry each of them with Excalibur.

"Gh!" Saber grunted in pain as one of the Shuriken grazed her cheek, creating a deep cut that made blood flow from the wound. She quickly looked up, only to see Assassin jumping off the fire escape and diving down towards her with both hands holding his Katanas.

"BANZAI JAPAN!" Wade laughed out, making Saber quickly jump out of the way as Wade closed in on her head. She swiftly swung her invisible blade, making blood squirt out of Wade's left arm.

"GAH!" Wade screamed out like a girl as he used his right fist to hit the ground before pushing himself back on his feet. As he landed, he smirked at the stump that started right before his elbow. "Hey Artie…" He then looked at Saber and asked, "…Can you give a guy a hand?"

"How are you still alive, Assassin?" Saber asked as she gripped her blade even harder.

"Really Artie? You're asking that after you've seen Shinji still alive and kicking?" Wade asked, ignoring the blood drip out of his stump. "I got slimed by the Grail too! Had to happen since a 'Gilgamesh' was needed. And anyway, call me Wade! Everyone does! Plus, it will keep the readers from getting confused."

Saber's eyes narrowed at Wade. It seemed like her suspicions were correct. _"Not only that, but he is as insane as ever…"_

"Anyway!" Wade suddenly shouted, making Saber break out of her thoughts. "I think it's time to get my arm back!" Wade then rushed forward, an insane smile on his face as he reared back the Katana. "En garde!"

"Tch!" Saber clicked her tongue while Assassin's blade met her own. Assassin then twisted the arm to make the handle impact with Saber's face, which resulted in her nose breaking with a loud, audible 'crunch'. Saber swung her sword despite the injury, but Wade managed to duck, grab his arm, and jump on top of another fire escape.

"Okay, so we put this here…" Wade muttered to himself as he dropped his Katana and placed his limb back on the stump it came from. As soon as both connected, the skin sewed itself back together and in a second, Wade began to flex his fingers. "Ah, there we go! Good as new! Now when this is done and we're on the computer, you can do your job while your buddy does his!"

"What is providing you with Prana Assassin?" Saber asked, ignoring the blood coming out of her nose as she quickly snapped it back into place.

"You know, if this were canon, Kirei would be supposed to use little children as batteries to help supply me. Being dead and all, thus having the connection between us broken, for a few seconds makes people do crazy things to solve problems…" Wade then grinned as he waved his finger at Saber. "But that didn't fly with me, so I just went back into the mercenary business! I went abroad and traveled to some far off, exotic places…" Wade then jumped down to the ground, several feet away from Saber. "Met some interesting people like dictators, warlords, generals, rappers… And then killed them before consuming their souls!"

"You…" Saber was now literally shaking in rage at the information. The former Assassin had really resorted to_ that_ in order to get Prana? While it was better than the first option he had stated, it was still unforgivable.

"You know, I can see why certain white-haired drooling punks love eating them! They taste like chicken!" Wade laughed out. He then flipped the Katana in his right hand while the left one took out a Glock strapped to his side. "Plus, it kept me in shape and didn't make me rusty! Have you _seen_ my abs? Man, having Ryan Reynolds's body has its _perks_! I mean, I had _so_ much sex over the past few years off screen that it's not even funny anymore!"

"SHUT UP!" Saber yelled out, finally having had enough of the former Servant's ranting as she charged forward. Wade just aimed his gun at her in response.

"Yay! Party time! Blood, blood, and more blood!" Wade shouted out while jumping down, his finger slowly pulling back the trigger…

…Only for a blade to enter through the side of his head and come out on the other end.

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Church):_**

Maiya walked down the road that lead to the Fuyuki Church, the building coming closer and closer with each step. A sense of foreboding was growing inside her more and more every second. She had never wanted to return here. Never in all the years that she had lived in this city. She had never even wanted to step a single _foot_ in it. The building, after all, contained the one man that Kiritsugu had ever feared.

Said man was also another reason why she and Kiritsugu had Shirou become Shinto, rather than introducing him to Christianity.

"Maiya-san?" A voice asked, making Maiya stop and look to the side to see Shinji. Gripped in his right hand was his spear, but the man was wearing his usual casual clothes. She idly noticed the bags under his eyes, indicating that the now grown Servant had not been sleeping well the past few days.

"Ikari." Maiya greeted curtly as she took off her coat, taking out her shotgun and placing it on the floor before putting the coat back on. "Has there been any movement?"

"No… Not even a light has been turned on…" Shinji muttered to himself as his eyes narrowed. "Something's not right Maiya-san. I think this is a trap…"

"Most likely, yes." Maiya informed Shinji as she slung the shotgun over her right shoulder, the strap attached to it preventing the firearm from falling. "However, this still needs to be done."

"What are you…?" Shinji began, only for Maiya to look him directly in his eyes.

"Sakura will be exiting the building soon." Maiya muttered before glaring at the church. "When that happens, I need you to protect her from Avenger for as long as possible."

As soon as that word was uttered, the doors to the Fuyuki Church slowly creaked open, making Maiya only see darkness with only faint bits of sunlight peeking through the murals from the gray sky.

"Ikari…" Maiya muttered, making Shinji look at her. "If I don't live through this… Tell Shirou that I'm sorry."

"Maiya-san…" Shinji muttered, only for the woman to walk forward without saying another word.

Maiya's eyes shifted to cold indifference as she drew closer and closer to the opened doors. As she passed by them, her steps echoed throughout the Church. Kiritsugu's former assistant walked past the pews until she was near the middle of the pathway leading to the altar, making her stop before checking each side. She then looked forward again, her eyes narrowing and focusing on the place of rustling cloth.

Footsteps then echoed from the area in front of her, and Kirei appeared from of the shadows with an amused smirk on his face. "Welcome, Hisau Maiya. I've been waiting for you…"

"I'm sure you were, Kotomine Kirei." Maiya shot back, a small and cold smile appearing on her own face. "Where is Matou Sakura?"

"What? I'm hurt. Don't you want a drink first? Or maybe some snacks? I assure you, there will be no poison in them." Kirei stated in a mock hurt tone. "When I kill you, I want to do it with my own hands! I'm too evil to use things like _poison_ to kill my enemies. But then again, I _could_ fuck with your mind for a bit…"

"Are you done rambling, Kirei?" Maiya asked, not taking her eyes off the man. Kirei blinked for a second before chuckling.

"What? No cold indifference Maiya? What happened to that emotionless woman that was fucking Kiritsugu behind Irisviel's back?" Kirei questioned in an interested tone. "Why not beg for your life?"

"I am not one to beg, Kotomine Kirei. And it would not work against you even if I tried." Maiya replied, her hand beginning to move towards her handgun. "Especially against a man who killed his own flesh and blood."

"Oh?" Kirei raised an eyebrow as he looked the woman up and down. "Did Kiritsugu and you find out this little fact during the off-screen time skip?"

"No. Kiritsugu had his suspicions. You just confirmed them." Maiya replied, making Kirei's eyes narrow in slight anger before they returned to their usual smug amusement.

"Maiya-san!"

Maiya quickly turned to her left, aiming her 6P9 at the origin of the sound. She saw Avenger holding Sakura by the waist while holding a dull-grey colored dagger to her throat.

"Drop the gun." Avenger spoke, glaring at Maiya. "Both of them."

Maiya did not budge, but instead stared Avenger directly into his eye.

"Sem-" Sakura began, only for Avenger to bring the dagger even closer to her throat.

"If you don't, I _will_ slit her throat." Avenger spoke again, glaring even harder at the woman. "Do it now."

Maiya had seen many men over the years. Many that she had killed, many others that she had done business with. Over those many years, she had learned how to tell if someone was lying to her or not. _Especially_ when it came to important information.

"One final warning. I_ will_…!"

"No you won't." Maiya replied coldly before firing the gun, the bullet leaving the chamber and zeroing in on Avenger's head. The Servant's eyes widened in shock as he instead raised the dagger to parry the bullet, letting go of Sakura in the process. "Run!" Maiya ordered, making the girl snap out of her fear-induced shock before she started running towards the entrance. Maiya quickly fired four more bullets, making Avenger dodge them as Sakura kept escaping.

"Damn!" Avenger cursed as he threw the dagger at Maiya, who leapt in between two pews and rolled on the ground, stopping herself in a crouch, and aiming her gun at Avenger again.

"Forget about me?" Kirei's voice asked from behind her, making Maiya's eyes widen as she quickly moved her head to the side in order to avoid a punch that created a hole in the wooden bench in front of her. Kirei turned his head to Avenger and ordered, "Get Sakura. Me and Maiya have much catching up to do."

Avenger scowled, but quickly ran towards the doors as Kirei turned back to Maiya, who was loading a new magazine into her gun. As soon as the gun 'clicked' after the magazine was pushed in, Kirei closed the distance between him and Maiya while rearing his fist back.

While Maiya was once again surprised by the priest's speed, in her mind she mentally commanded, _"Time Alter: Double Accel!"_ Time slowed down at that exact moment, and Maiya watched as Kirei's fist closed half the distance to her head. Quickly, Maiya moved around the man to several feet behind him, putting the gun back into its holster and taking her shotgun, aiming it at the priest.

That's when the spell stopped; returning time to its original pace while Maiya pulled the trigger. But Kirei reacted just as quickly, using his right leg to back-kick the shotgun upwards, making it shoot upwards while he turned around, three Black Keys manifesting in each of his hands. On instinct, Maiya leaned backwards to avoid the blades and stamped her foot onto the ground, causing her to hop several feet back as she pumped the shotgun, expelling the used shell before aiming it at Kirei again. This time, Maiya fired at her target, causing Kirei to spin his arms to make the blades deflect the shrapnel. Maiya fired four more times, pumping the shotgun after each firing, eventually shattering the priest's blades with the assault.

"You have to hate growing old. Even if it happens off screen." Kirei chuckled as he threw away the now useless Black Keys, now adopting a Chinese Martial Arts stance and smirking at Maiya. "But even if I can't move my body like I used to, you will die here, Hisau Maiya."

Maiya didn't even give him the courtesy to start moving as she commanded, _"Time Alter: Double Accel!"_ The veins on her face throbbed and her heart began to move like an Olympic athlete as she rushed forward, grabbing the shotgun by the barrel and swinging the other hand towards Kirei's head…

…Only for her eyes to widen as she saw Kirei moving his left arm in almost _equal_ speeds to block the gun, his arm making an audible 'crunch' as it broke from the force of the blow.

_"Damn! He saw it coming!"_ Maiya thought to herself before she noticed Kirei's smirk, and his right fist closing in on her stomach. Maiya, using what little time remained on the Accel, moved her body to the side as the fist impacted with her left ribs, shattering several of them instantly.

As the spell ended, Maiya ignored the pain and instead took out her 6P9 and fired several rounds at Kirei before ducking behind the wooden pews once again. Digging into her coat pocket, she fished out a grenade and pulled the pin before throwing the thing at Kirei. She started running towards the back as soon as she did so, just in time for the thing to explode and cover the entire church in smoke.

Maiya wheezed in pain as she clutched her chest with her left hand, her right fishing out the pill bottle. Quickly opening it, Maiya dropped several in her mouth, chewed them, and swallowed.

Normally Digoxen was used for people with heart conditions and slowed down the heart. It had fallen out of favor because it did not give that much of a mortality benefit, but the drug suited her needs. Especially since this was a concentrated dose, allowing it to work faster on her body.

Maiya felt her heart rate reduce by a miniscule amount, confirming that the altered drug was working on her system before she shakily raised herself from the floor, thinking, _"I-I have to keep moving… If I stay still for too long Kotomine will have another opportunity to ki-!" _"GH!" Maiya grunted in pain as something stabbed her stomach. Looking down the woman saw a single Black Key sticking out of her right side. _"D-damn!" _Maiya thought to herself as she pulled out the blade, placing her right hand on the wound as she stumbled a bit. _"H-He ricocheted the damn thing to hit me!" _Maiya turned around, her left hand now holding the gun as she wheeled to face Kirei…

…Only to find him gone.

_"You up for a little game of hide and seek Hisau Maiya?"_ Kirei's mocking voice came from several loudspeakers, making Maiya scowl before she rushed to the back door of the church.

**_Meanwhile (Outside):_**

Sakura ran past the doors as quickly as she could, running to the path leaving the church. She was frightened, confused, and worried. Frightened because Avenger had threatened to kill her, yet Maiya had still shot him anyways. Worried since Maiya was now fighting the priest that was Avenger's new Master, and confused due to the fact that Avenger was her _Sempai_!

_"How is that possible?" _Sakura thought to herself as her legs moved faster than ever before. _"Sempai… Sempai would never become that cold!"_ As much as she would like to deny it, the fact remained the same. His eye looked just like Shirou's, minus the color. And for some reason, she could just tell that the Servant was Shirou. In fact, now that she thought about it, Avenger's face looked exactly like Shirou's except for the tan, and his hair was also styled similar to her Sempai's (only greyed.). _"B-But the Throne of Heroes is in a place where space and time have no meaning…"_ Sakura's eyes then widened as a new idea about Avenger's origins came to her mind. _"Does that mean that Avenger… is Sempai's future self?"_

"Sakura!" Shinji's voice cried out followed by the sound of clashing metal. Sakura turned around to see Shinji, who was gripping his spear with both his hands while blocking Avenger's swords. "Stay behind me!"

"Shinji-san?" Sakura asked in surprise as she took several steps back, allowing Shinji to push off Avenger.

"Were you really going to kill her?" Shinji asked, narrowing his eyes at Avenger, who simply looked at him in confusion.

"That spear…" Avenger began before he smirked. "I see, you're Ikari Shinji. You survived the last Grail War too, didn't you?" Avenger sighed as he gripped Kanshou and Bakuya. "I wasn't going to harm her, I was simply hoping to bring you out of hiding. I could sense your presence."

"Well, I'm here now." Shinji replied as he twirled the spear in his right hand. "And there is no way I'm letting you get Sakura!"

Avenger clenched his teeth in frustration as he observed the former Servant in front of him. Like he had done with the other contestants of the Holy Grail War, he had watched Shinji's series. He understood _everything_ about the man's childhood. How he had been manipulated, harmed, mentally broken, and all of his dirty little secrets. _"Wait…"_ Avenger thought to himself, his eye widening in revelation. _"Perhaps I can use that against him…"_

Shinji rushed forward at the speeds that came with his former class, and stabbed at Avenger. Avenger parried the blow with Bakuya, only for Shinji to stab forward again and again with each and every step he took. Avenger quickly blocked all of them before ducking under one strike to rush forward while raising Kanshou.

"_A.T Field_!" Shinji shouted, blocking the blow and taking a step back. He swung his spear, forcing Avenger to jump upwards. Shinji followed him, the two of them exchanging blows in mid-air but never harming one another. "You won't get Sakura! There is no way in Hell that she's going to stay with Kotomine Kirei! We're bringing home, and there's nothing you can do about it Avenger!"

"Cut the brave act you _brat_!" Avenger shouted back, surprising Shinji by kicking him in the stomach. Shinji gasped in pain as his body shot towards the ground, making the ground crack from the force of the blow.

"Shinji-san!" Sakura yelled as Shinji shakily began to get up, only for the man to shake his head.

"D-Don't get involved Sakura!" Shinji ordered as Avenger landed back on the ground in front of him, the Servant glaring at Shinji as he did.

"Stop acting concerned about her!" Avenger yelled as he threw Bakuya and Kanshou into the air, the two swords spinning as they zeroed in on Shinji. "You have no right to do it!"

"Neither do you!" Shinji shot back, raising his arm and having the hexagonal shield block the two swords, which blew up on impact. "You're the one who kidnapped her!"

"But you're not here for _her_, are you _Shinji_?" Avenger asked coldly as two more copies of the swords he just threw reappearing into his hands. He rushed at Shinji, slashing his swords at the former Servant but never taking his gaze off of him. "You're here for your own reasons! Not for her safety, or the idiot's sake!"

"W-what?" Shinji stuttered out as he blocked each of the blows, sparks flying between him and Avenger as metal clashed against metal. "I-I am not!"

"You may deny it, but it's the truth!" Avenger shouted back, jumping backwards to put some distance between him and Shinji. "You've always fought for your own reasons and not for others! I know you, Ikari Shinji." Avenger glared at the man, who was watching him with shocked eyes. "I know about the Evangelions, the Angels, Third Impact, _everything_!"

"H-How…?" Shinji asked, his body shaking in fear at Avenger's declaration. How could the Servant in front of him know these things? He had never confessed his life to anyone except Sola-Ui!

"You fought the Angels, sure, but it was _not_ for humanity." Avenger stated, his hands gripping his swords even harder. "Even when you fought the Third Angel, it wasn't for Rei! No, it was so that your father could say that he was _proud_ of you!" Shinji now looked like a deer caught in headlights, making Avenger mentally smirk. Things were going according to his plan. "That was the _only_ reason you fought! So that you would feel like 'daddy' wanted you! A man who saw you as nothing more than a tool for his own goal. The only thing that made you realize that was him almost making you kill one of your friends!"

"S-stop it…" Shinji muttered, his pupils dilating. He took a step back unconsciously, all the while Avenger continued.

"You abandoned Rei, just because of one little fact about her birth." Avenger said, watching as Shinji continued to step back in horror. "You killed Kaworu, and even _betrayed_ him in his desire for you to be happy and live! You practically _raped_ Asuka while she was in a coma! You sat down and _cried_ while everyone was dying around you, when you could have gotten into the damn machine to protect them! And worst of all, you _killed your world_ just because you thought that you were the only one who suffered! Even now, you are just a selfish little _brat_ who thinks he has grown up! Time will not change that fact!"

"SHUT UP!" Shinji shouted in fury as he reared back his spear, the weapon glowing blood red as he began to throw it.

Avenger simply raised his right hand, making Kanshou disappear before shouting, "_Rho Aias_!" A burst of energy came out of Avenger's hand, forming into what looked like a seven-petal flower that glowed as the lance hit. A loud screech filled the air, and sweat began to form on Avenger's brow while Sakura covered her ears and screamed in pain, only for her screams to be drowned out by the sound of the two Noble Phantasms colliding. One by one, the petals shattered like glass, and in a moment, all of them disappeared and the lance _continued_ to move forward. However, it was slower than before, and instead created a gouge in Avenger's left shoulder as he ducked to avoid it. "I'm impressed, you are one of the few to pierce _Rho Aias_." Avenger told Shinji calmly, as the lance appeared in his hands once more. "However…" Avenger began, lifting his right arm once more. "…That is the only blow you will ever land on me, Third Child." _"Trace On!"_ Avenger mentally commanded, looking at the spear in Shinji's hand. In less than a second, an exact replica of the lance appeared in Avenger's hand. Avenger readied himself, twirling the spear in his hand before gripping it, aiming the tip at Shinji.

"Now then, lets finish this."

**_Elsewhere (Alleyways):_**

"YAHOO!" Assassin shouted, landing behind Wade and giving Saber a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, Black*Star's here to save the day!"

"A-Assassin?" Saber stuttered out, her eyes widening in surprise. "When did you…"

"Assassin followed you and you Master on his own volition." Lancer replied as she jumped down, landing next to Assassin. "I came under orders from Master."

"Anyway, who's this creep?" Assassin asked raising an eyebrow as he reached to take out Tsubaki from the head. "I mean, he was actually giving you some…"

"Ohhhhh yeeeaaaahhh!" Wade groaned out, making Assassin leap back in shock and Lancer blink. "That's the spot! I wanted to scratch that itching part of my brain for a while now!"

_"H-He's still alive!"_ Tsubaki screeched out in horror before she removed herself from the head. _"How is that even possible!?"_

"Aw come on! Can't you help out a brother Assassin?" Wade asked, turning to Assassin and ignoring the blood gushing from the sides of his head. "I wanted you to scratch a bit to the left too…" Wade jumped over Assassin suddenly, avoiding Saber's invisible blade from cutting him in half. "Oh come on! I was just trying to have a civilized conversation with the guy!"

"Do not drop your guard for a second Assassin, Lancer!" Saber shouted, pointing at Wade who just waved at them. "That man was the Assassin from the Fourth War!"

"Then how the Hell is that bastard still alive?" Assassin growled out as he gripped the Kusarigama.

"Most likely the same reason why Pilot Ikari is still on this plane, Assassin." Lancer replied, making Wade grin.

"You got it in one, token Emotionless Girl!" Wade shouted, sheathing his Katana and taking out another glock. "Let me give you guys a few presents! They are my favorite things: Doorknobs!" He then fired, the bullets zooming in on the three Servants. "Bang! Bang! Bang!"

_"A.T Field_" Lancer muttered, waving her hand and making the semi-invisible shield appear in front of her while Saber deflected each of the bullets.

Assassin crouched down while shouting, "_Tsubaki: Shuriken Mode_!" As the transformation happened, Assassin threw the weapon at Wade. And in a loud 'squelch', the Shuriken embedded itself into Wade's abdomen.

"NNNOOOO! MY KIDNEY! I NEEDED THAT!" Wade cried out in a tone that sounded like actual emotional pain before noticing Assassin flying towards him with his right leg out.

"Shut it, you bastard!" Assassin shouted as his foot impacted with Wade's face as he grabbed Tsubaki and used Wade's face as a springboard to jump back with the rest of the group.

"AH! Not my beautiful face!" Wade whined, rolling on the floor as if he was in actual pain. "Do you know how _hard_ it is to maintain this look?"

Saber growled as she watched Wade continue to complain about his face, even though he knew that it would heal in a second. While she was certain that the three of them could defeat Wade, the fact that he was even still here bothered her. Why wouldn't he flee, knowing that the odds were completely against him? Why…

"Saber?"

Saber turned around and saw Shirou, looking at them wide-eyed and also at Wade who was continuing to roll around on the floor.

"What the Hell? Why are you here?" Assassin asked as he turned around as well. "I mean, what…?"

Suddenly, Shirou's eyes widened and he took out a gun that was hidden in the back of his pants, firing two shots past the Servants. They all wheeled around and saw how Wade, with a Katana in his hand and with two bleeding holes on his person. One in his head and one in his heart area. He instantly dropped to the ground, not moving at all.

A moment passed, and his wounds didn't seem to heal at all. Assassin frowned in confusion as he walked up to Wade's body, kicking its ribs while asking, "Is he de-?"

Suddenly, Wade's right hand shot out, stabbing Assassin's abdomen with a bowie knife and making the Servant gasp in pain. "S-shot through the heart! And you're to blame!" Wade sung out as he lifted himself onto his feet. "AWWWW, you give love, a bad name! DAWWW DAWWW DADA DADA DAWWW DAWWWW!" Wade then kicked Assassin back, Tsubaki returning to her human form behind him and catching him. He turned to Saber and Lancer, who were staring at him in shock and readying themselves for battle respectively. "And Artie, haven't you known me long enough to know that a little head shot won't kill me?"

"B-But your wounds did not heal!" Saber announced, only for Wade to grin and then lift his right arm to his forehead. He dug his index finger into the bullet hole, making blood and brain matter ooze out before he took out a single bullet.

"Didn't go all the way through." Assassin replied, the wound now healing automatically and leaving nothing but skin.

"Oh, that's just _wrong_!" Assassin yelled out before gasping in pain as Tsubaki wrapped bandages around his wound.

"…But we will not fall for the same ploy again." Lancer informed Wade, narrowing her eyes slightly at the man. "Leave now, or prepare…"

"For trouble? Will you make it double?" Wade asked, making Lancer blink in confusion. "You need to watch more TV kid. Anyway, I'll be going now..." Wade then reached behind him, making Lancer and Saber tense up…

…Before he revealed two coconut halves.

"I'm off to find a shrubbery now!" Wade declared, banging the halves together, making them sound like horse hooves as he began to jump up and down. This action caused Saber's face to become red with utter fury as Wade grinned at her. "Hope you will enjoy your threesomes whenever you need a 'recharge'!"

"GGHHHHAAAA!" Saber yelled, suddenly pushing past Lancer and charging at Wade, who instantly dropped the coconuts and pressed his belt buckle, causing him to disappear in a flash of blue light. Just in time too, because Saber's swing would have lopped off his head in an instant.

"Saber…" Shirou began, finally speaking for the first time since walking into the scene. "Who was that?"

Saber glared at the ground where Wade formerly stood and muttered out, "A man who needs to die as quickly as possible."

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Church):_**

_"Have I ever told you what the… definition of insanity is?"_

Maiya ignored Kirei's voice that could be heard over the loudspeakers as she opened the door to the recreation room of the church, aiming her gun at every possible direction before moving on to the next room.

_"Vaas from Far Cry 3 summarized it best. It's when someone does the exact same **fucking **thing, over and over again, expecting shit to change. It makes one think, right? I mean, I kind of remember you trying to do something similar to me…"_

Maiya opened the next door, revealing a kitchen that was full of dirty dishes and junk food wrappers on the floor. Maiya grimaced in pain as she clutched her side. Her ribs were hurting, but they did not hurt more than the stab wound on her right side. The blood was beginning to soak a lot of the bottom half of her shirt. If this kept up, she could pass out from blood loss…

_"Oh right! You **did** do this crap before! In the forest when you and Irisviel were looking for me, remember? Because I **fondly **remember kicking your ass back then! Hell, Kiritsugu's **wife** did better than you!"_

Maiya ignored him, and continued to run down the hallway, looking through each room for Kirei. It did not make sense. She searched through most of the church, yet he was _nowhere _to be found! _"Could he be doing this remotely?" _Maiya thought to herself, wiping the sweat from her brow.

_"And yet, here you are. Trying the EXACT same shit again, expecting a different outcome. And yet you think **I'm** the crazy one! Kiritsugu couldn't kill me, TIM **needed **a villain for the fic. So what makes you think you can beat me?"_

_"Where haven't I looked yet?"_ Maiya thought to herself in frustration, leaning against a wall to support her. _"I have checked all the rooms within the church, so what is…"_ Her eyes widened as the answer revealed itself to her. _"The bell!"_ She looked at the door at the end of the hallway, the only one she hadn't checked yet, and began running.

_"But no, it isn't your fault. After all, TIM **needs** our confrontation to happen. It's the only reason why you're even still alive."_

Maiya kicked open the door, and instantly saw a flight of stairs. Quickly, she ran up then, grunting with each step she took as blood continued to pour out of her wound and sweat steadily forming on her face. She even noticed her vision getting slightly blurry, but continued on. Within seconds, she reached the top of the structure that held the church's bell. Maiya gasped in pain and exhaustion as she aimed her handgun forward, her eyes darting around for even the slightest sign of the mad priest.

"Boo."

Maiya wheeled around, only for the Black Keys to knock the gun out of her hand. Maiya stumbled to the side and flicked her left arm, making the combat knife slide into her hand, which then met Kirei's. Sparks flew as the knives were pushed against each other, but then Kirei pulled back and slashed at Maiya's head. The woman stumbled back, the Black Keys creating three bleeding cuts on the right side of her face before she fell on the ground. The knife fell to the ground, no longer in her hand, and Maiya saw Kirei rear back his right arm to impale her. She felt her right hand touch something metallic and familiar, her 6P9. Grabbing it, she instantly brought it in front of her and pushed it against Kirei's chest, right where the heart was. Kirei's blades stopped on hers, not even piercing the skin.

They stood in silence for a second before Kirei grinned and asked, "You want to know something, Hisau Maiya?"

"…What?" Maiya grunted out, making Kirei's grin falter for only just a bit.

"I pity you all." Kirei responded, looking Maiya directly in her eyes. "You actually think that you have _control _over your lives. That your decisions and choices are your own. You are spared from knowing the truth: that there is no free will, no God. There is only a man, his laptop, and his imagination. Only us Fourth Wall Breakers know this truth, and we can't do anything except to embrace the roles we landed on. Even Wade's alternate self, the one who killed the Marvel Universe and is killing older fictional characters, is leading a fruitless quest. In the end, we all have to follow a script. Whether you like it or not."

"Hmph." Maiya muttered, grinning slightly as she looked at the man in front of her. "You are pathetic, Kotomine Kirei." Kirei's eyes widened in shock while Maiya continued. "You are not following a 'script'. You're just taking the easy way out of the problem you are in. I don't care if there is a God, or simply just a man on a computer. I came here to face you because I _chose_ to do so. Protecting Shirou and fulfilling my order to Kiritsugu were my decisions, and even if what you said _is_ true, I would never regret a single _moment_ I lived my life. However you, Kotomine Kirei, are nothing more than a man _scared_ of taking control of your life. You are a pathetic, empty, _shell_ of a man."

Kirei's face instantly twisted to one of pure rage as he snarled, "YOU BITCH!" He stabbed forward, and Maiya fired her gun. The bullet instantly went through Kirei's chest, making it spew out _black _blood while the Black Keys sliced Maiya's chest open, but missed her heart. Dropping the Black Keys, Kirei's right hand grabbed Maiya's face, a sick, demented grin forming on it as he whispered, "This is where you die." He then threw Maiya out of the structure, her body falling down towards the cold, unforgiving ground. But then Kirei's eyes widened as he heard three metallic 'clinks' coming from his right side. When he looked to the right he saw three grenades with their pins missing. "Oh _fuck me_!"

Time slowed down for Maiya, and she watched the bell get farther and farther away.

_She saw a man with spiky black hair and who smelled of cigarettes murdering her commanders, shooting them with an assault rifle. She heard cries of chaos and confusion echo throughout the base while the man extended his hand to her. She didn't know who he was, but all she knew was that the man was her savior from the hellhole that was her life._

She had used one last Time Alter to allow her to take out each of the pins of the grenades while Kirei had been crushing her face. She had thrown them the second he had thrown her from the building.

_Years later, the man, Kiritsugu, grunted as their naked hips met. There was no emotion in the act. His heart belonged to someone else. But she loved him nonetheless._

She was going to die, either from the fall or her wounds.

_She watched Kiritsugu smile at his wife, Irisviel. Something that he had never done for her. She felt a pang of jealousy, but kept silent. A few days afterwards, Kiritsugu was waiting outside of a red-haired boy's room, his eyes now empty and his wife dead._

But she had fulfilled her mission. She had protected Shirou by killing Kotomine Kirei.

_Maiya attempted to comfort the boy, who was panicking after realizing that Kiritsugu had stopped breathing while his head was tilted, as if looking at the moon, with a content smile on his face._

And yet… she didn't want to die yet.

_Maiya watched as Sakura and Shirou ate while Fujimura gobbling up the food and Ikari tried to calm her down. They talked animatedly with one another, and unknown to them, Maiya let out a small smile as she observed them all._

Maiya saw the structure explode, stone shooting out everywhere and flames rush out from the building.

_Maiya watched as Shirou opened the door to leave for school. He smiled at her, saying that he would see her later, before closing the door. He was unable to see the smile forming on her face, a kind, motherly one instead of the emotionless one she usually gave._

Her vision began to fade, and Maiya felt the wind begin to rush past the back of her head. A single thought passed though her mind before everything went black.

_"Shirou… Live…"_

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview! **

Taiga and Illyasviel continued to gape at the screen of the laptop in front of him, not saying a single word for several minutes before Taiga breathed out, "T-that was…"

"Epic? Dramatic?" Illyasviel questioned, not moving an inch while Taiga shook her head.

"Not those. I think that it was just too… _morbid._" Taiga then turned herself to the side and began to sulk. "Cerebus Syndrome is kicking in way too damn hard…"

"Um… Sensei?" Illyasviel asked, only for a storm cloud to form above Taiga's head. "O-Okay…" Illyasviel then turned her head back to the 'audience'. "S-stay tuned for the next chapter, 'You Can (Not) Regret'."

"Check it out…" Taiga muttered as it began to rain on her head, the storm cloud also doing miniature lightning and thunder.

**Note-**** Yo! Its your friendly neighborhood TIM here with the latest chap of Stay Away! I truly hope that it meets everyone's expectations, because I worked HARD on it! If you can tell where I got inspiration from, you get a cookie! And so did Sir Godot, who betad this bad boy! Thanks a lot man! **

**Now folks, I have some big news. Aniplex USA, on their Facebook page, is holding up a pole to see which one of their animes the fans want to see on Toonami. And the dub of Fate/Zero is one of them! However, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is ahead in the poles by more than ten votes. So if you want to see the awesomeness of Fate/Zero on Toonami, where others can see the glory of this series, vote!**

**Remember to check out Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and add whatever you feel belongs there. I really want to see the tropes you guys feel are appropriate for this fic. **

**Also, do not forget to check out my own stories and look at my profile for my challenges and challenge takers. If you are interested in a challenge, PM me.**

**And review! Reviews fuel my muse, so the more reviews the better! Criticize, but do not flame! Those will be used to roast marshmallows. Tell me what you think of this latest chapter however you can! **

**See you, Space Cowboys! **


	19. You Can (Not) Regret

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

_Illyasviel knew where she was, unlike the other times before._

_It was hard not to, considering all of the decaying beauty of the dying world around her. Berserker's memories were powerful, and disjointed. Sometimes, some of them didn't even make any sense. But still, death was prominent in all of them._

_She saw an innocent and kind robot girl, one who had lost her mind, caring for flowers and attempting to help both Berserker and a broken robot. She cared for a puppet made of scrap, which she proclaimed as Luna, her former master. She died at the hands of robots that wished to kill Berserker, the robot that she had cared for crying at her grave as Berserker left, heartbroken but determined to find the supposedly revived Luna._

_But that didn't make sense! _"Luna died! She can't be alive!"_ Illyasviel shouted, but the memory shifted once more._

_She saw a robotic soldier, the death that plagued the world never touching him. He held onto hope that his friends and comrades could be saved by Luna, despite some of those very same comrades becoming disillusioned about their quest._

_She saw a disabled robot who saw beauty in a world crumbling down and tried to bring others joy through his paintings. She saw his final masterpiece: a painted road that led to the sun. Its silver paint reflected the light, making Illyasviel see how beautiful it was. She saw how he died, proud that he had left his mark on the world, and would still be remembered even after his death._

_The scenes continued to mesh together, people and robots came and died when meeting Berserker. Sometimes even right before his eyes. However, soon she saw her._

_Luna._

_She had an… ethereal beauty to her. But that was overshadowed when she saw that the robots were healed by drinking her own blood. She saw robots fighting each other with their regained bodies, knowing that Luna would just heal them again._

_It made her sick. Why did they do something like that rather than enjoy the second chance in life that they had gotten?_

_She then gaped in horror as some robots were cut down for being too rusted, or having too many parts gone. Luna even denied saving the robot known as Dune, one who had served her for years, not healing him because he was dying, and thus disgusted her._

"What is wrong with them?"_ Illyasviel asked as she saw the town full of robots who had drunk Luna's blood. It was bizarre, robots relishing in their supposed 'beauty' while performing acts in the messed-up carnival without reason. They shunned Berserker and his comrades because they carried the 'shadow of death' with them._

_If this was what immortality brought, then Illyasviel didn't want it._

_She saw Berserker fight his mirror image, their battle like a clash of Gods. Dio's only reason for living was beating Berserker, and in the end he achieved that. But soon after he died, not caring what his fate afterwards was._

_The robot woman who loved Berserker, his robotic canine companion, the small girl whose innocence did not disappear no matter what, and her caretaker joined Berserker in choosing to live their own lives to the fullest. Rejecting immortality and the loss of truly living that came with it. They lived a peaceful life for countless days, perhaps even weeks or years, planting flowers in their new home and spreading life in their own way._

_But soon, the robot woman and the caretaker died. Berserker made their graves carefully, and stood quietly beside the crying girl before uttering a few words, directed towards Luna._

_"If you have forgotten death, then why have you forgotten what it means to be alive?"_

_Berserker left after that, leaving the girl with the robotic dog before going to confront Luna one final time. He fought a robotic army, who were angered that he, the killer of the Sun named Moon, would dare to return. He killed them all. And those who survived fled in terror. He faced his former master and creator, who refused to be healed and wished to atone for his part in destroying the world, before killing him and moving on. He confronted Luna, who shouted her desire to be rid of death in the world and yet realized the contradiction in that statement. That to live meant that death would eventually follow. She struck Berserker, their blood mixing like the day he had killed her. And Illyasviel heard their final conversation._

_"…You aren't going to kill me?" Luna asked in wonder as Berserker began to walk away._

_"No, I won't. There are still individuals who seek you out in search of life. It is your duty to help them." Berserker replied as he continued to walk, not looking back._

_"So it's okay, that I grant them eternal life?" Luna asked, making Berserker stop._

_"If survival is what they want, then it's best that they have it. I cannot deny them that. However…" Berserker turned his head to look at Luna, pure conviction held in his eyes and tone. "If you, or **anyone** forgets the face of death. Then I will return." With that, Berserker left the lonely castle, and went back into the dying world._

_Illyasviel now understood. Berserker could never die. His body would not allow him to do so. So, in order to have a purpose in a world where the immortals were rising up once more, he became Death to remind them what it meant to be truly alive._

_Perhaps the only reason why he was on the Throne in the first place was because he was waiting for when he'd be needed again…_

**_Reality:_**

Illyasviel calmly awoke from her chosen sleeping spot (her couch in the living room area) and sat up, looking at the table in front of her.

She had never wanted to think about death before. Sure, she knew that her life was going to be short, but that didn't matter. What mattered was winning the Holy Grail War and obtaining her revenge.

But why did those goals suddenly seem so empty to her? Why did she feel like they wouldn't make her happy?

"I don't understand!" Illyasviel shouted out, frustration showing on her face.

"Understand what?" Berserker asked, making Illyasviel turn to see Berserker walking into the room without his mask.

"I don't understand what to do…" Illyasviel told Berserker, who stood still and watched her. "I-I don't know what I want anymore!"

"What do you mean?" Berserker asked once more, his face changing into a confused expression.

Illyasviel took a deep breath. She might as well tell him, just to see what his opinion would be. "You know, I won't be able to live past the Holy Grail War. I'm a container for the Grail, and my body has to handle all the Heroic Spirits who will die to give the Grail sufficient energy to materialize. Even if I could live past the ritual, by body won't support me for more than a year…"

"So you will die…" Berserker stated, giving Illyasviel a sad look.

"It's not fair! I want to live longer! I want to!" Illyasviel shouted, tears coming out of her eyes. "I don't want to die! B-But if I don't die… I'll never live…" Illyasviel then began to cry, her hands covering her face. "I-I'm so confused! What do I do!?"

"…Live your life to the fullest." Berserker replied, making Illyasviel stop crying. "If you do that, then you can die knowing that you truly lived in the first place."

"…That's easy for you to say…" Illyasviel muttered darkly. "You're immortal. Even if you die in this war, you will just return to your original body."

"…So, you saw the rest of my life…" Berserker commented before sighing. "I know that I will live forever. But because of that, I will never truly live. You can die, so you can live your life in a way that I'm denied from doing. I actually envy you for that."

Illyasviel said nothing. What could she say to the Servant who envied her because she could _die_? It was bizarre. People nowadays did everything in their power to live longer, and yet Berserker wanted to die despite being given immortality. _"But how can I live my life to the fullest?"_ Illyasviel asked herself before looking at Berserker. "Berserker… do you mind walking in the forest with me? I-I always wanted to explore…"

Berserker blinked at the request before giving Illyasviel a small smile. "Sure."

**_Elsewhere (Sola-Ui's Home):_**

"Damn it…" Shirou muttered as he sat next to the body currently resting on top of a couch with her eyes closed and her breathing slowed.

Hisau Maiya was lying on the small bed, looking as if she were taking a nap.

But Shirou knew that it was not just a nap.

And there was a possibility she might not wake up again.

"I'm sorry Shirou…" Sola-Ui apologized as she stood beside Shirou, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I did all I could, but it has been a while since I used any spells. Let alone healing ones, and she was fading fast."

"It's not your fault, Shirley-san." Shirou muttered out, looking down in shame.

The fault was his. Had he not decided to go out and find Waver…

"It was his plan all along!" Saber growled out in anger as her fists and teeth clenched. "Assas-Wade..." She hesitantly corrected herself before continuing. "He purposefully started the battle so that we would stay in the area for longer than he had to! That way, Maiya and Kirei's fight could continue undisturbed!"

"I'm just glad that Maiya-san isn't dead…" Tsubaki spoke up with a sigh while sitting on a wooden chair, Assassin sitting in a similar one right next to her. "Who knows what could have happened if Shinji-san hadn't been there…"

"But why didn't you use a Command Seal when you were out of that bastard's hands Sakura?" Assassin asked Sakura calmly, the girl in question sitting on the couch opposite to the one Maiya was resting on. "Me and Tsubaki could have helped! We could have kicked Avenger's ass and…"

"Black*Star, stop…" Tsubaki muttered out. "Can't you see that Sakura's already suffering because of this?" Assassin closed his mouth, looking down in shame.

Sakura just shook her head and said, "No, he's right. I could have summoned you. I could have done _something_!" Sakura's hands clenched and her eyes closed to hold back tears. "But I was _useless_!"

**_Twenty Minutes Ago:_**

_A loud, booming sound made Sakura take her eyes off the battle to see the bell tower of the Church go up in flames, stone raining everywhere as smoke billowed from the top. She saw a dark object falling from the tower towards the ground. It looked familiar. Could it be…?_

_"MAIYA-SAN!" Sakura shouted, making Shinji's head snap away from Avenger to her, and then to where she was looking. His body then snapped into motion, jumping to Maiya's falling form at speeds only a Servant could generate. He caught her body in his arms, his spear disappearing from view as he began to descend back to the ground._

_However, he was not alone._

_"You should pay more attention to who you're fighting, Ikari!" Avenger shouted as he leapt behind Shinji, his right hand holding the Lance of Longinus as his arm reared back, ready to impale the Servant and the woman at the same time…_

…_Only for Avenger to sneer and shout, "Damn!" before heading to the destroyed structure._

_Seeming to ignore Avenger's retreat, Shinji landed on the ground and ran for Sakura. Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she saw Maiya. Her body had multiple bleeding injuries, blood was dripping down on the floor while Maiya weakly took in air with her eyes closed. "D-do you know any healing spells?" Shinji asked hesitantly, only for Sakura to shake her head._

_"I-I cannot heal injuries this serious!" Sakura stuttered out, panicking as she saw Maiya beginning to bleed out even more. "I-I don't know what to do!"_

_"Hang on to my back! I know someone who can!" Shinji shouted, making Sakura nod hesitantly. She ran behind Shinji, putting her arms around his waist before he bent his legs…_

…_and found herself flying over the forest._

_She did not scream, the shock of what was happening had momentarily stopped that response. Right now, she was terrified. Was Maiya going to die? Was she going to die just to save her?_

_No, she couldn't think like that. Not now. She had to hold onto the hope that Maiya could be saved._

_ She didn't want to think that she might be responsible for the death of her Senpai's mother-figure._

_Within a few tense moments, Shinji stopped at their destination: a small, ordinary western-style home. "T-this is Shirley-san's home!" What were they doing here? Shouldn't they go to the hospital instead?_

_"Sola-san! Open up!" Shinji shouted as he knocked hard on the door, which confused Sakura. Who was Sola?_

_The door then opened to reveal the woman she had come to know as Shirley, who gasped at Maiya's form. "S-Shinji! What is…"_

_"There's no time Sola-san! Maiya-san needs your help!" Shinji shouted desperately, making 'Sola' blink before nodding._

_"Alright, get her to the table and clear it off. I will need all the space I can get." 'Sola' then turned to Sakura and said, "It's been a while since I used Magecraft, so I can't guarantee everything will turn out alright. Call Shirou and get him over here. He will want to know about this."_

_"Y-You practice Magecraft?" Sakura stuttered out while Shinji rushed past the woman. She was a Magus? How long had she been…?_

_"No time. Call him now." 'Sola' interrupted, making Sakura nod before running into the house and heading for the phone that was right by the kitchen sink._

_Senpai always had a cell phone on him, despite hardly ever using it. Something that Maiya had forced on him. Luckily, she knew his number and quickly dialed it. After a few tense seconds, a "Hello?" was heard._

_Sakura gulped the saliva that had been building in her mouth as she said, "S-Sempai, it's terrible…"_

**_Now:_**

As soon as she had explained what had happened (never minding Shirou asking if she was alright and whatnot), Shirou had instantly rushed over to Sola-Ui's home. She did not know if Shirou knew that she was a Magus or not, but that mattered little. Ever since he had arrived, he had not left Maiya's side.

"It's not your fault Sakura…" Shirou muttered, making Sakura whip her head towards him and see Shirou giving her a thankful smile. "Thank you for calling me, and telling me you were safe and where Maiya-san was."

"Senpai…" Sakura muttered sadly, looking into his eyes for a minute before looking away. Those eyes… how could those eyes end up like Avenger's? Should she tell him, about what she had discovered? That he would possibly end up like that bitter and dark hero one day? _"No, not now…"_ Sakura thought to herself. _"Now's not the time…"_

"SHIROU!" Luvia's voice shouted before the door was flung open, revealing Luvia with her dress stained with sweat. Lancer was behind her, observing the house with her usual neutral expression. "I came as soon as Lancer told me about the situation!"

"L-Luvia!?" Shirou stuttered out in surprise at the girl's sudden appearance. Luvia then walked over to Shirou, panting as she did so, before sitting by him. _"D-Did she run all the way here?"_

"L-Lancer told me about the battle with the last war's Assassin." Luvia responded while rubbing the back of my head. "She was able to awaken me from unconsciousness…"

"You were knocked out?" Shirou gasped out in shock. "Who did it to you? Tell me!"

"I-It was Maiya…" Luvia responded before looking at the sleeping woman. "I-I was going to check on her, and saw her carrying modern-day weaponry. But I couldn't do anything. She made me pass out before I could ask her what she was doing."

"It is true." Lancer spoke up, making everyone turn to her. "I discovered Master in her room. It took much effort to wake her."

"Figures. She probably knew that Luvia would have tried to stop her…" Assassin commented dryly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Damn it!" Shirou shouted, punching the ground in anger and startling everyone. "This is all my fault! If I had just refused to meet with Waver, all this wouldn't have happened! I could have stopped her! Her life would have been saved! But now, she's in a coma, and I can't do jack shit!"

"SHIROU!" Saber shouted, making Shirou stop her ranting and look to her. She stared him directly into his eyes, her own becoming dead serious as she spoke her next words carefully. "Maiya chose to battle Kotomine Kirei out of her own free will. She most likely did not inform you in order to protect you. While yes, it was a foolish and risky mission, it is one that she was willing to do on her own free will. You stopping her would have defeated the purpose."

"Damn it, I know that! But…" Shirou then clenched his hands as he spoke, "It doesn't make me feel any better Saber. Knowing that she got hurt because of me…" _"What kind of protector of justice would let someone he cares for get hurt?"_

There was a reason why he never outright stated his desire to become a hero. It was because he knew that it sounded bat-shit insane.

But it was still something he believed in, something that he could become. So he would keep that ideal.

That didn't mean he had to shout it out to the world though.

"Stop moping!" Assassin shouted as he got out of his chair and glared at Shirou. "Do you know how we feel? It sucks that they were able to pull a fast one on us! But I'm not going to sit here and whine about it! We're going to make sure that this crap won't happen again! A star like me can't let himself be dragged down by a few mistakes, so what the Hell is your excuse?"

"I know that this is hard on you Shirou…" Tsubaki said patiently, giving Shirou an apologetic look for her partner's words. "…But you can't blame yourself for what happened. Maiya… did what she thought was right. She didn't have to do it, but she did it anyways for you…"

"…" Shirou said nothing, and Luvia softly placed her hand on Shirou's shoulder to comfort him. Sakura hesitantly walked up to Shirou from her seat and did the same from his other side, glancing nervously at Luvia.

Why was she acting so… _familiar_ with Shirou?

Sakura always knew that Luvia might be a rival for her Sempai's feelings. But she had never seen Luvia act so… _close_ to Shirou before.

Just what had happened while she had been away?

"…I'm going to check on Shinji. Please, make yourselves at home for as long as you have to. Shirou, you're welcome to stay for the night." Sola-Ui declared before walking down a hallway that had several doors to each side.

"Pilot Ikari is here?" Lancer asked, her voice holding the barest hints of anxiousness, making the woman stop in her tracks.

"Yes… he is sleeping." Sola-Ui answered before continuing walking. "You can see him in a few minutes if he's awake."

"Geeze, he brings the lady here bleeding all over and the first thing he does is sleep? What's up with that?" Assassin asked, while Saber nodded in agreement.

"Yes, the behavior is strange…" Saber muttered, her eyes narrowing. "Even with a human body, a Heroic Spirit should not be so easily exhausted…"

"W-well!" Tsubaki declared, standing up and clasping her hands together while giving a smile to everyone. "How about I make dinner? I'm sure we could all use a meal!"

Nobody said anything, making Tsubaki sigh.

So much for trying to dispel the bleak atmosphere, even for a second…

**_Dreamscape:_**

_Shinji was sitting on something._

_It was something cushioned, but kept him in place._

_He looked down and saw that he was sitting on a piano's stool and in front of him was a black grand piano._

_Shinji looked around. He was all alone in a white room, the only objects were him, the piano, and a small tree to the side, its pure green leaves swaying in a nonexistent wind._

_Shinji looked back at the piano, confused. He did not know why it was there. He had never learned to play any other instrument except for the Cello. So why would such a thing be in a dream of his?_

_"What's the matter, Shinji-kun?" A hauntingly familiar voice asked, making Shinji's eyes widen as he turned his head to the side. No, it couldn't be…_

_But it was. Right next to him, sitting beside him in front of the piano, was his dead friend Kaworu. The only person who had said 'I love you' to him during his early teenage years was still giving him the same melancholic smile he usually gave…_

_"K-Kaworu-kun?" Shinji asked, reaching out his arm before noticing something. It was shorter than before. On closer inspection, he saw that it looked like the arm of a teenager. He turned back his head to the piano, and stared at his reflection on the shining black surface._

_He was fourteen again._

_"Honestly Shinji-kun…" Kaworu began, a slight sigh escaping from his lips as he placed his hands over the piano keys. "Have you forgotten my lessons?"_

_"Lessons?" Shinji asked hesitantly, looking back at Kaworu who only smiled and touched Shinji's right hand before directing it over the keys. Slightly understanding what Kaworu was trying to do, he brought his left hand into the same position._

_"The trick to mastering the piano…" Kaworu began before hitting a key, a deep note filling the air before his hands glided across the keyboard, a melodic tune filling Shinji's ears while Kaworu's eyes closed. "…is repetition. You have to repeat the song over and over again until it sounds good to you." Kaworu opened his eyes and looked at Shinji before saying, "Go on. A piano duet is like a conversation, after all."_

_Hesitantly, Shinji hit a light note while Kaworu kept playing his own tune. Using his two pointer fingers, he kept playing light notes as Kaworu continued, seemingly not bothered by it. He sped up a few times, Shinji hesitantly following. The notes went from light and happy to slow and melancholic. Shinji felt his hands shaking as they continued to play, and he noticed tears began to splash against the keyboard in front of him._

_It was like the song was mimicking his life. The happy parts were short and brief while the horrible, sad moments were long and clung to him._

_"Why, Kaworu-kun?" Shinji began, making Kaworu's hands stop playing. "Why am I so fucked up? I-I don't…" Shinji placed his hands over his head, fighting back tears. "I don't know who I am anymore! I-I tried to be a better person! I tried to forget about everything and lead a happy life!"_

_"You cannot continue to run away Shinji-kun." Kaworu said calmly, only for Shinji to let out a bitter chuckle._

_"I keep telling myself that, but it only makes me suffer more and more." Shinji began, before looking at Kaworu. "Whenever I don't run away, things only get worse. I killed you by not running away, and look what happened after that. I could do nothing but cry like a baby while everyone died around me!"_

_"The path to happiness will always have pain, Shinji-kun." Kaworu said sadly, his form growing fainter and fainter right before Shinji's eyes. "It's up to you how much you're willing to sacrifice in order to be happy."_

_"B-but I was! I was happy!" Shinji argued, only for Kaworu to shake his head._

_"Are you Shinji-kun? Or are you trying to give yourself the illusion of happiness?" Kaworu asked, his body becoming almost transparent. "You cannot truly achieve happiness by denying what you have experienced. You must look at your mistakes and move on. They may bring you pain, but then and only then can you experience joy."_

_"Kaworu-kun! Don't!" Shinji shouted, reaching his hand out, only for it to pass through Kaworu's body. Kaworu only smiled as he completely disappeared._

_"You must learn to forgive yourself Shinji-kun."_

_The room then became pitch-black, and Shinji could only see himself. Suddenly, crimson-red steps appeared in front of him, replacing the piano and leading upwards. Hesitantly, Shinji got up and began walking up the steps._

**_Why should you forgive yourself? You're not the reason. THEY are._**

_Shinji looked to the side and he gaped in horror as Unit-01 held his father, his mother, Akagi Ritsuko, twelve old men he did not recognize, and Kayneth in its teeth before biting down. Their corpses turned into a crimson liquid before the image disappeared. Shinji continued to walk upwards, now holding his right hand in front of his mouth. He was going to be sick…_

**_Humanity will always cause pain. They will always sin, torturing those who never deserved the horrors they themselves commit._**

_As Shinji kept walking, another image appeared to his left side. It was him, as an adult, kissing a naked Asuka who slowly morphed into Rei. She then transformed into Misato for a second before reverting to Taiga, and then becoming a horrifying yet beautiful amalgamation of the four of them before the image ended._

**_So why think that you yourself are to blame? That rhetoric is only stopping you from punishing those who wronged you. Wronged US!_**

_"Please, stop…" Shinji begged as a new image appeared. It showed him cutting off the left leg of Toji with an insane smile on his face while a seated Gendo watched calmly. "Why are you doing this to me!?" Shinji shouted out, some force compelling him to move up the steps._

**_Why? I am simply helping you see the truth. To understand what you really are._**

_Shinji reached the top of the steps, and saw only darkness for a moment but felt a presence. It was so dark… angry… and even lonely. Shinji did not understand, nor did he get the chance to do so. A light then flashed from overhead, like if it was from a stage, before revealing the same tattooed teenager that had been haunting his dreams for so long sitting on a blue folding chair._

**_Do you not understand? You understand me…_**

_The teenager stood from the chair, and Shinji felt himself held in place._

**_You hate like me. Because you are me…_**

_The teenager stepped forward to Shinji, and Shinji tried to move back. But for some reason, he could not move his legs._

…**_And I am you…_**

_"Y-you're wrong…" Shinji stuttered as the teenager walked right in front of him, and gave him a smile. A content, yet twisted one._

…**_My mirror… My brother…_**

**_Reality:_**

"I'M NOT!" Shinji shouted as he shot up from the bed, panting and his shirt stained in sweat. Shinji gasped for air and placed his right hand over his face, groaning in pain as he did so.

The dreams… why wouldn't they stop? They kept coming back to him, no matter how hard he tried to block them out. _"That teenager… who is he?"_ Shinji asked himself in side of his head as his breathing slowed. That boy kept appearing in his dreams, claiming that they were the same. Could he be Angra Mainyu's true form? Or simply a form that Shinji could comprehend?

He didn't want to know.

"Shinji?" Sola-Ui's voice asked, making Shinji look to the door to see her with a concerned look on her face.

She had always been concerned about him.

She always tried to cheer him up, abandoning her life as a Magus so they could start a new life in Japan.

But was it because she actually liked him? Or was it just because she felt _pity_ for him?

_"Stop." _Shinji mentally commanded himself. _"Why am I thinking this stuff again? I-I thought that I got over this crap years ago!" _"I-I'm fine…" Shinji answered nervously, hoping that it would alleviate her concern.

It didn't. "No you're not." Sola-Ui answered as she walked over to his bed and sat beside him. "What is wrong Shinji? Please tell me." Sola-Ui pleaded as she looked into Shinji's eyes. "If you tell me, I can help you."

"…I saw Kaworu in my dreams…" Shinji muttered, his hands clenching the sheets. "H-He told me that I couldn't be happy if I couldn't forgive myself…."

"Shinji…" Sola-Ui muttered before pulling him into a hug. "Why do you keep blaming yourself? Even after all these years?"

"Because it is my fault that everyone died!" Shinji shouted, pushing her away. "I-I could have done _something_! I could have made Unit-01 move and helped Asuka! I could have still been a friend to the new Rei, and I could have helped Misato when she was grieving for Kaji! But no, I instead had to cry like a freaking baby and feel sorry for only myself!"

"…Forgiving yourself is never an easy thing to do." Sola-Ui began, looking down on the floor. "But if you keep punishing yourself like this, how can you say that you're happy?"

Sola-Ui had tried for many years to bring Shinji true happiness. She had supported him in making friends at school, having them live as normal of a life as possible. She even had supported his choice in a girlfriend (even though she and Taiga never truly saw eye-to-eye). But still, she had always suspected that Shinji had never forgiven himself for the things that occurred in his life.

Shinji only quietly said one thing. "The problem is Sola-san that I don't think that I can."

Neither of them could say anything else after that.

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Church):_**

"What in the world happened here?" Rin asked herself as she looked at the Fuyuki Church in shock, Archer beside her with a serious expression on his face.

When she had called Kirei several times to explain the death of Caster (or rather Archer did, because she had no idea how to work the stupid telephone), he had not answered. At first, she had just assumed that he was being lazy and just decided to ignore it. After all, he was probably playing one of his video games or something. But then, Archer said that the church had exploded, making her head straight for Kirei's domain.

While the church as a whole was not heavily damaged, the bell tower that it once had was gone. Stone and wood now laid everywhere, and even at her angle she saw holes in the ceiling, which meant Kirei had been attacked.

"But who did this?" Rin asked herself before noticing a small puddle of red liquid by her feet. Curiously, she kneeled down for a closer look. "It's blood…"

"Whoever was here was injured, probably on the arm or something, maybe even held up while bleeding." Archer commented before pointing at the ground, which had several footprints. "Four people were here. Two women and two men. From what I can tell with some of them, the guys were Servants."

Rin looked and saw the footprints as well. Two sets of footprints bucked in some areas, probably from powerful jumps or great force being put on them. "Well, that definitely confirms that a Servant battle took place here…" Rin commented before standing back up. "But why here? The Church is neutral territory."

"Let's go in and find out." Archer suggested, making Rin nod. They then walked to the open doors of the church, and as they did so Rin gazed curiously at Archer's face. The Servant's expression was dead serious, something that she hardly ever saw. But then again, the situation itself was very serious.

Whoever had attacked the Church would likely anger the Holy Church and maybe even reach the ears of the Pope himself. If that happened, the Church might consider it enough justification to strike against the Mage's Association in some manner.

"Tch. I hate politics…" Rin muttered to herself before stepping in. Her eyes then widened as she saw the once well-kept interior now looking like a warzone. The pews were nothing more than scrap wood. The floor was heavily damaged, wood and concrete all across from what appeared to be a mini crater. Not to mention the strange, metallic objects that littered the ground…

"Bullet casings." Archer spoke, kneeling down and picking one up. "Shotgun casing to be accurate." He then put the casing down and picked up a metallic, rectangular object from the floor. "And one magazine…" Archer sighed as he stood up. "Whoever attacked here really had a bone to pick with the priest…"

"Modern weapons…" Rin breathed out while her eyes narrowed. "Does this mean Emiya is responsible?"

"Maybe. Or maybe it was made to look like he did it." Archer replied before walking towards the back of the church. "Remember, you cannot just go with what you see at first. Be a bit opened minded, Rin." Archer then flashed Rin a grin before asking, "Now come on! Unless you're too chicken to find out what's in the back!"

Rin's face heated up at the comment and shouted, "I-I'm not you idiot!" She then ran after Archer, who opened the door and began walking down the hallway. "Kirei! It's me! Get out here right now!" Rin shouted, only for no one to answer. Now she was getting nervous. The place was extremely quiet, and she couldn't even hear Kirei's TV.

"Rin…" Archer began, stopping in place. "I think I found him."

"What do you…" Rin asked before stopping, her mouth gaping at what was in front of her.

At the end of the hallway, which lead to the Church's bell, was a pile of rubble and collapsed stairs. And just exiting the door, half of his body crushed by a support beam, was a burnt corpse with a mop of brown hair. She saw a golden cross, tied to its neck, cracked and broken at its side.

She could not recognize the face thanks to the burns, but she knew it was him.

It was Kirei's corpse.

_"B-But how!?" _Rin asked herself, forcing the bile that was coming to her throat back down to her stomach. _"Kirei is supposed to be one of the best Burial Agents in the world! How could someone, let alone Emiya, kill him?"_

She did not have enough time to continue asking that question, for a muffled voice shouted, "KIREI! Get me out of here you son of a bitch!"

"W-what the…?" Rin stuttered out as she looked at the door that lead to the basement, still closed with a small bead of sweat running down her face. Who had said that? Was it the one who had killed Kirei?

Archer instantly acted. He drew his gun and ran to the door before swinging it open, aiming it at every possible angle. He stopped after a second, his face morphing into a confused expression, and said, "Rin, you have to see this."

"S-see what?" Rin asked as she hesitantly walked to where Archer was standing, lightly pushing him to the side in order to see what he was talking about.

What she saw was Avenger's Master, on the ground and pulling herself with her right hand at the bottom of the stairs. Her left hand was gone, nothing more than a bandaged stump in its place. Rin had only one thing to say about this.

"What the Hell?"

**_Elsewhere:_**

Kirei groaned as he opened his eyes, slowly, and looked at the barren ceiling over him.

"Figures that I'm alive…" Kirei muttered to himself before wincing in pain. His body _hurt_! It was like it was on fire!

"Mornin' sunshine!" Wade spoke, making Kirei turn his head to see the former Servant cooking pancakes while wearing a 'kiss the merc' apron over his usual outfit. "How are we doing today?"

"…Apparently injured thanks to a fight with a side character." Kirei muttered as Wade set aside the pan and began placing pancakes on a plate. "Can't believe I let her pull a 'Spike' on me…"

"Be thankful that I even saved you Kotomine." Avenger muttered as he sat on a chair away from Kirei, his arms crossed as he glared at the man. "If I didn't need you, I would have just let you die."

"Aw, don't be like that Avenger!" Wade shouted as he set the plate of pancakes on Avenger's lap. "It's not every day where one fights a whiny emo boy piloting and lives to tell about it, unless that person is from Gurren Lagann!"

"Hm." Avenger muttered as he set aside the pancakes while Wade grabbed a mirror from the shelf. "You should also be glad that I even told you about Bazette's place."

"Eh, would have found it anyway." Wade said with a dismissive wave of his hand before walking up to Kirei. "Anyway buddy, you got out of there with the skin of your teeth! And you got a wicked makeover too!" He then gave Kirei the mirror, and saw his reflection.

His hair was completely gone, revealing his bald head to the world, and patches of his skin were scabbed over, probably due to cuts or burns received from the grenade explosions. Kirei could probably guess that his body was the same. _"So, TIM is giving me a makeover huh…?" _Kirei wondered to himself before looking to Wade and asking, "How did you cover up me still being alive? Because without a body, they will be suspicious..."

"Oh nothing much." Wade told Kirei with a smile growing on his face. "Sam helped out."

"Sam?" Avenger asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh Sam's from the morgue. Got him for cheap." Wade replied with a chuckle. "Dressed him up in some of your old clothes and threw him in the rubble after burning and beating him a couple of times. Drained a couple pints of your blood while you were out for a mortician pal that will replace his blood with yours for the test. Here's a cookie by the way." Wade then threw a cookie onto Kirei's lap, who looked at it for a minute in silence.

"Hahahaha!" Kirei laughed out suddenly, a maniacal grin forming on his face. "This is perfect! PERFECT! We have been able to fool them into thinking that I'm dead, lulling them in a false sense of both security and suspicion! This story will go on, and while they fight I will recover before claiming my victory!" Kirei continued to laugh, making Avenger sigh.

Why did he make this psychopath his Master again?

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"GAAAHHH!" Taiga shouted in anger while Illyasviel looked at her nervously. "I can't take it anymore!"

"Take what Sensei?" Illyasviel asked, making Taiga's head snap toward her, making the homunculus 'eep' in surprise.

"All this angst! It's too much!" Taiga responded, pointing her finger at her. "Is the author depressed or something? What the Hell!?"

"I-I think he's just trying to give the series more drama Sensei." Illyasviel began, only for Taiga to begin running to the back of the dojo.

"No way I'm staying here! I'm leaving!" Taiga declared before beginning to pull on the door, only for it not to budge.

"We can't leave, remember Sensei?" Illyasviel asked before returning to the 'audience'. "Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'You Can (not) Forgive'!"

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Taiga cried out with tears flowing out of her eyes as she continued to try and pry the doors open.

**Note-**** Yo, TIM here with a new chap fresh from the oven and betaed by Sir Godot. Thanks mine.**

**Now, I understand that I will probably get a lot of rage or criticism for keeping Maiya alive. I never understood why a lot of you guys thought I killed her off. But reading it over, I guess that I kind of get why. It was a perfect death scene. But honestly, I still have plans for her. And I think her being in a magical coma will be just as bad on the groups' minds. **

**So yeah, sorry for all of you guys expecting Maiya to die.**

**But anyway, moving on. I have to admit; I'm even getting depressed by this story's depressing parts. I blame rewatching Evangelion 3.0 and Persona 3 (At least the sad parts). But Evangelion and Vaas' death in Far Cry 3 really helped with Shinji's dream sequence. If you want the song Shinji and Kaworu play, look up 'Evangelion 3.0 OST- Quelconque 56 Avec A4 (2 pianos plus). But still, I hoped you guys liked it.**

**Also, remember to check out Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and add whatever you feel belongs there. I really want to see the tropes you guys feel are appropriate for this fic. **

**Also, do not forget to check out my own stories and look at my profile for my challenges and challenge takers. If you are interested in a challenge, PM me.**

**And review! Reviews fuel my muse, so the more reviews the better! Criticize, but do not flame! Those will be used to roast marshmallows. Tell me what you think of this latest chapter however you can! **

**See you, Space Cowboys! **


	20. You Can (Not) Forgive

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Aoi could not help but stare at the red-haired woman that was lying on the lavish couch in front of her. In their living room, with the bottom half of her body covered by a white sheet as she glared at the ceiling above her, was a woman who claimed to have been the former (emphasis on former) Master of the Servant Avenger, who had betrayed her for Kotomine Kirei of all people.

She did not know how to react when Rin and Archer had brought the woman (Bazette, she reminded herself) to their home earlier. She had tried to tell her daughter to bring Bazette to a hospital, only for the woman herself to refuse going there, claiming that Kirei might finish the job. So, to calm the Magus, Aoi had simply laid her on a couch in the living room for now, planning to move her to one of the guest rooms later.

The woman had not spoken a word since then.

"I don't get it." Rin began, pacing in front of Bazette's chair with her face scrunched up in frustration. Archer was leaning against the doorframe leading to the living room, a gallon of milk in his right hand. A minor part of Rin's mind was irked by this as it already was half empty again and she was sure he had only gone to the fridge five minutes ago. "Kirei has no reason to do this!"

"Are you sure?" Archer asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Rin. "Wasn't he a Master in the last war? I mean, he could have wanted another shot at the Grail…"

Rin slowly nodded in agreement as she spoke, "Yes… but Kirei hasn't been motivated to do anything involving work for years! I'm surprised he even has enough money for half of the stuff he owns!"

"Doesn't that mean he does actually work once in a while?" Archer asked, only for Rin to give him a look that literally screamed 'Are you serious?'

"Archer, you never met Kirei. The man only bothered to teach me after I paid him. And this was after he said that my father left him instructions to teach me!" Rin then looked to the side, her fists clenching angrily. "After that, he just left me vague instructions and kept on watching that stupid Golden Girls show…"

It was true, Aoi had to admit. Ever since her husband's death, his former student had begun acting… strange. It hadn't been apparent at first, because Aoi hardly ever observed Kirei's lessons with her daughter. But when she had, Kirei had hardly acted like a teacher at all. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Rin had taught herself considering the amount of help Kirei had given her had been nearly nonexistent.

"You're too naïve."

Rin was snapped out of her reverie when she heard the bitter voice of Bazette. It only lasted for a moment though before she fell into her typical behavior and got angry. "Who're you calling naïve?!"

Bazett regarded her with a flat look, her face not betraying the pain she was in. "You should know that Kotomine worked as an Executor for the Church. People like that always have a dangerous side to them, and the mindset that goes with it. If you still cling to the hope that he would never do something like that you are only deluding yourself. We were both fooled by him, and I paid for it. Face it girly, he acted just like a Master should… he played the other competitors against each other and kept his own losses to a minimum. Well, aside from someone apparently offing him that is…"

After stating her opinion, Bazette fell back into silence, leaving a fuming Rin but unable to argue with her logic. However, the Irish woman wished she could keep talking, if only to keep her mind off the terrible truth: she couldn't use magic anymore. She had lost her left hand and would be lucky if she regained enough mobility to use a wheelchair properly. Bazette could have lived with only that, there were ways for a magus to work even around such handicaps. But that was the crux of the matter again: her magic was gone. Had Bazette not been a woman who made sure to be seen as strong-willed and mature, she would have broken down crying right in front of everyone present. For now however she would hold back her tears. She wouldn't let anyone else see her cry.

"You know," Archer suddenly spoke up, interrupting Rin's tirade. "There is the possibility that the priest is actually still alive."

Rin turned to her Servant and stared at him incredulously. "… Are you serious Archer? You saw his corpse. It wore Kirei's clothes, had his hair and I even verified it was his blood we found. The only way to be surer of his death was if we had killed him ourselves. And you still think he might be alive?"

The magus shook her head. "This might be news to you, but people tend to die when they are killed, and that means they stay dead."

Despite her arguments, Archer remained doubtful. "Rin, even if I had shot the guy myself I wouldn't be surprised to see him pop up again. Lancer's ability allows her to be still around although we have seen her die as well, doesn't it? And putting that aside, one more threat remains: Avenger."

Archer's Master sighed and pinched her nose. "Ignoring your paranoia, Avenger should be dead by now. Only your class has the Independent Action skill necessary to survive long enough without a Master to form a new contract with a suitable person. And before you start spouting nonsense about him surviving too I'd like some proof aside from your intuition."

The Servant had no answer to this and remained silent, although his eyes showed that he wouldn't follow his Master's advice and forget about it. If his past had taught Archer anything it was that things rarely were what they seemed.

"I think this is quite enough for today."

Rin and Archer turned their heads towards Aoi, who had been silent during the entire exchange. The eyes of the mother were troubled, but she tried to appear at least somewhat cheerful. "You had a long day, and I think at this point speculating will do no good. You should go to bed Rin, after a good night of sleep your thoughts will be much clearer. Also, you have school tomorrow, and you certainly need some sleep for that."

Rin nodded hesitantly before leaving, allowing her mother to tend to Bazette, who hadn't said a word since her earlier statement. The young magus quietly walked up the steps to her room, going through the process of getting ready for bed mechanically. Her head was too preoccupied with the war to actually focus on school. Also, thinking about it always lead to her thoughts inevitably returning to the other Masters that attended her school – and her little sister. Drowsiness started to set in as Rin pulled the covers over her body and burrowed her head in her pillow, yet one last thought echoed throughout her mind as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

_"School won't be the same anymore. And somehow I wish… I could return to those peaceful days…"_

**_Elsewhere (Mitsuduri Residence):_**

Waver was really not looking forward to this.

"Hey…" Rider spoke up behind him as they stood in front of the household's entrance. Waver looked back at his Servant, the man looking at him with worried eyes. "You okay?"

'Okay' wasn't be how Waver would describe himself at the moment. Right now, he was somewhere between anxious and a little bit angry. Even though he spent most of the day out of the household to cool his head, coming back now only because it was night time, he was still angry with his wife.

_"What was she thinking?"_ Waver asked himself while his eyes narrowed, remembering the events that had lead to his freak-out and were soon followed by his cooling-down walk that lasted for several hours. What Cristina had done to Ayako was horrible. To change someone's memories to the point that their personality changed was something he could not calmly accept.

Sure, he could have handled his reaction better. Maybe he shouldn't have yelled at her, but hindsight was twenty-twenty.

"…Kinda, I guess." Waver muttered as he scratched the back of his head. "Have to admit, I'm kind of nervous about this."

"What's there to be nervous about?" Rider asked Waver, making Waver blink in surprise. Was he seriously asking that question? "All you have to do is go in there and say 'I'm sorry'. That shouldn't be too hard!"

_"…He is serious…"_ Waver thought glumly as he sighed out, "It's… a lot more complicated than that. Trust me, saying 'I'm sorry' isn't always how you solve fights. Sometimes, it just sounds like you're being insecure or you are just using too little effort to apologize…"

"Well, it always helped out whenever I got into a fight with Kittan and the others…" Rider replied with a shrug. "And remember, I never really got into a fight with Nia, so I can't really help you out here."

Waver could not help but sigh again. He shouldn't have expected for Rider to have the answer to his problem. Well, he kind of did, but… _"Stop thinking like that!"_ Waver thought to himself with clenched fists. _"I'm not a freaking kid anymore! And Rider is not Kamina, he can't solve all my problems for me, nor should he! I can do this on my own!"_

"But hey, don't worry." Rider spoke up, disrupting Waver from his previous train of thought and flashed him a big grin. "Look, just do what you think needs to be done. Go to her and apologize while being honest about it! You won't get anywhere just worrying about this kind of stuff."

"…" Waver could not help but smile at Rider's enthusiasm. No wonder he and Kamina called themselves brothers despite not being related by blood. "Yeah, guess you're right." Waver then took in a deep breath and exhaled again, "Well, here goes nothing…" With that, Waver opened the door to the Mitsuduri household and took off his shoes.

The place was dark and quiet, not surprising since it was nighttime. Hell, Ayako's parents had work and the girl herself had school. They needed all the sleep they could get. With that in mind, Waver slowly tip-toed to the stairs while Rider quietly plopped himself on the couch and closed his eyes. Apparently, he wanted to give Waver some privacy for the coming conversation. _"Have to thank him later."_ Waver thought to himself as he went up the stairs, being sure that no noise but the quiet creaking of the wood echoed through the house. The conversation would have been infinitely more awkward if Rider had decided to stick around to hear. Waver then blinked as he saw light shine out of the bottom crack of his door, signaling that Cristina was in fact still awake._ "Well, this will save me a lot of trouble." _With that, Waver silently opened the door and closed it behind him.

"…You've returned."

Cristina was sitting at the edge of the bed, looking out the window to the night sky. Her back was turned to him, making him unable to see her face fully, but he could see tear marks on her right cheek, and her voice was a bit hoarse and scratchy. _"Did she cry the whole time I was gone?"_ Waver asked himself, feeling a pang of guilt slice through his heart. Despite his anger with her, he never wanted to do this to his wife. He couldn't think of anything to reply other than, "Yeah, I have."

A moment of silence stretched on between them, making Waver feeling even more nervous and awkward than before. "Listen, I…"

"I returned Ayako's memories to their original state like you asked." Cristina interrupted, taking in a small breath before continuing. "She has… returned to her original self."

Waver let out a small sigh of relief as he muttered, "Good, that's good…" Gulping the saliva that had been building up in his mouth, Waver continued. "Look Cristina, what you did was very wrong." And saying that was putting it lightly. "I don't know what you were thinking when you did that to Ayako, but you must have known what I would think about it if I found out."

"…I-I just…" Cristina stuttered out and clenched her hands. "…I just thought that it would make you happy… All of them seem so happy in the books when they have…"

"Cristina, you have to understand that those works are fiction." Waver sighed out while pinching the bridge of his nose. Cristina was always socially awkward. Most members of higher-class Magi families usually were. They wouldn't last a day in normal society unless they had another Magus from a lower-family show them the ropes on how to blend in. Cristina spent most of her days either in the Archibald residence or in the Clock Tower, her only knowledge of how to act in the 'normal' world being Kayneth's poor choice in reading material. He had tried to show her how to act in the real world, but unfortunately Cristina was very stubborn when it came to how she acted. "They act like that because the author wants them too. If they were real people, they would act completely different. Harems are not something that people actually go out and search for, nor do guys actually want one."

True, one could fantasize about it, but actually having a harem? Way too many problems.

When Cristina said nothing, Waver took it as a sign to continue. "I know you want to make me happy, but this isn't how to do it. You can't change a girl's entire being just to suit your goals. But despite all that, despite everything you have done and ignoring how horrible it was… I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. I care about you, and I don't want to see you hurt. But I can't ignore something like this."

"…I understand." Cristina replied in a near dead tone, making Waver sigh yet again. He wasn't good with things like this. So what could he do to…?

"Well, maybe…"

Waver then walked up to Cristina and sat beside her, wrapping his left arm around her waist. "It may take a bit, but we can get past this."

"…" Cristina said nothing, and instead let several tears fall down her cheeks. As that happened, she sobbed out, "Forgive me… forgive me…"

For some reason, Waver felt like he matured even more from the boy he once was, those fateful ten years ago.

**_The Next Morning (Hamurahara Gakuren):_**

_"I shouldn't be here."_

That was the only thought running through Shirou's mind as he continued to 'listen' to his teacher drag on about math equations.

Shirou had wanted to stay by Maiya's side, he really did. Hell, even Sola-Ui had tried to make him stay rather than return to his classes.

But… going to school again was what Maiya would have wanted.

"Is it?" A voice in Shirou's mind asked. "Or are you just trying to feel normal again? Trying to return to the days where your magecraft was just a little secret, and you could be with others without suspecting them…"

That was probably one of the major reasons why he returned. So that he could return to a sense of normality. But, the fact remained that he was a Master still. At that, Shirou unconsciously scratched his left hand like it itched.

Why should he feel guilty about that? He was trying all he could to protect everyone! But… _"I always fail. Kuzuki-sensei is dead, Shinji is dead, Sakura got kidnapped, Maiya's in a coma…"_

As Shirou continued to ponder his failures, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Mechanically, Shirou shuffled out of his seat and walked out of the classroom. It was currently break period, meaning that he had twenty minutes until the next class started. But, there wasn't really anything he wanted to actually do with that time. He wasn't in the mood to look for things he could fix. And that was how he usually killed time until the next class…

"Shirou…"

"Luvia?" Shirou asked as he turned to his right to see the blonde looking at him with worried eyes. "Don't you have a class right now?"

"That doesn't matter Shirou." Luvia dismissed, making Shirou blink. Wasn't Luvia usually really uptight about her attendance and whatnot? "Shirou… are you sure you want to be here? I mean with what happened to Maiya…"

"Luvia, don't worry. I'm fine." Shirou assured the Edelfelt heir, only for her to shake her head.

"No, you're not Shirou." Luvia responded, looking at Shirou directly into his eyes. "Shirou, I know that you want to seem okay, but you do not need to push yourself…"

"I'm not pushing myself Luvia, I'm… here because I want to be." Shirou retorted, his fists clenching in frustration.

_"Liar."_

He admitted to himself that maybe he was lying to himself about that little tidbit, but he couldn't let Luvia continue to worry about him.

"Are you sure?" Luvia asked, looking at him strangely. "Shirou, if there is anything wrong… you can just tell me. I will understand."

"Thanks Luvia, but I…" Shirou stopped as he watched a certain dark-haired, glasses-wearing student approaching from the corner of his eye. "We'll talk about this later Luvia." With that, Shirou quickly ran past the shocked girl and called out, "Issei! Wait up!"

_"He's avoiding the question…"_ Luvia thought to herself glumly as she watched Shirou's retreating form. Shirou had been quiet ever since the events in Sola-Ui's home, not that she blamed him for it. After all, learning that his adoptive mother was in a coma and might never wake up again would be a massive blow for anyone. But for him to return to school so soon rather than taking time to grieve… that was something Luvia could not understand. _"Shirou… just what are you doing to yourself?"_

"Emiya." Issei spoke quietly as he continued to walk. "What is it that you need?"

"Issei…" Shirou began as he looked to his friend, and found the eyes of a boy who hadn't slept for days. "Are you holding up okay?"

A moment later he thought, _"God damn it; that was a stupid question…"_

"…Not really." Issei admitted as he stopped moving and leaned against a wall while looking at Shirou. "It's just… Souichirou-nii's gone… and…" Issei seemed to take a deep breath, as if to calm himself, before saying, "I just hate it… how some punk with a gun shot him for money…"

_"So that was the report used…" _Shirou thought to himself as Issei ran his fingers through his hair in another attempt to keep himself composed. He knew that measures had been taken to keep any hint of the Holy Grail War occurring from getting out, and considering how the cause of Souchirou's death was a bullet, it wasn't that hard to cover up.

"They also say that they can't find that red-haired devil anywhere. She hasn't returned to the temple either." Issei gave a humorless laugh. "Figures, she leaves as soon as Souichirou-nii's dead. I knew something was sketchy about that woman, but…" Issei sighed as he shook his head. "No, forget it. That's not important." Issei looked back at Shirou and asked, "Is Matou okay?"

"…Yeah, she's holding up." Shirou replied as he looked to the side. Shinji and Souichirou's deaths had been the source of most conversations in the school. While not many people had liked Shinji (hardly any, now that Shirou thought about it), many people were worried about Sakura. The usually cheerful girl had been somber throughout the day, and despite how almost everyone was saying that she had their support, it did not help.

"…Good…" Issei muttered as he began to walk away. "I… need to take care of some things. Fujimura-sensei wishes to talk to you in the teachers' lounge by the way."

_"Fuji-nee…"_ Shirou bid Issei farewell before he began to walk in the direction of the teachers' lounge. He hadn't seen her in a while, and most likely she was concerned about them. With that in mind, Shirou walked to the door and opened it, expecting to hear Taiga burst into whines about how he had been ignoring her…

Only to find Taiga looking at him with saddened eyes and Sakura looking at him with surprised ones.

"Fuji-nee? What's this…" Shirou began, only for Taiga to raise her hand to stop him.

"Shirou…. Shirley told me about what happened to Maiya."

_"WHAT!?"_ Both Shirou and Sakura thought in the same time in panic. Nobody knew about Maiya's coma. They had decided to keep that a secret from both the town and their classmates. Shirou had hoped to keep it a secret from Taiga as well, at least for a bit, but now she knew. "_Why would she…"_

"Shirley didn't give me any specifics, but she did tell me that Maiya's in a coma." Taiga explained as she looked from Shirou to Sakura. "Why are you in school? You shouldn't be here right now, not after what happened to the both of you happening so recently…"

Right, Shinji's death had been covered up as a robbery gone wrong. It would have been impossible to keep his death a secret, and really, Sakura did not want it to be. Shinji deserved more than being forgotten.

"I-I'm here because…" Sakura glanced at Shirou and took a small gulp. "I'm here because Senpai needs me to be. He needs us now more than ever."

"But you still need time to grieve as well Sakura!" Taiga shouted before looking at Shirou. "And you?"

"Maiya would not want me to sulk while she's in a coma." Shirou instantly replied, looking Taiga directly into the eyes. "She's not dead yet, so I won't act like she is."

_"Senpai…" _Sakura thought as she looked at Shirou, a sense of sadness filling her being. They had no idea if Maiya would ever awaken, and it was a very huge possibility that she wouldn't. But for Shirou to say that with such conviction… "_Is that how Senpai became Avenger?"_ Sakura asked herself, remembering the near-dead look in the Servant's eyes. _"Because Maiya died?"_

Taiga looked at Shirou for a few seconds, and saw that he wasn't going to back down. She looked back at Sakura, and saw her looking at Shirou with amazement. She did not understand these kids, despite years of being with them. Shirou was like a closed can that wouldn't let her see its contents, and Sakura just kept on admiring Shirou for it. But if there was one thing she knew about Shirou, it was that he was stubborn as Hell and would not let go of something he felt compelled to do, and Sakura would just follow his lead.

Apparently, this was one of those occasions.

"…Look, I can't tell you how to live your lives. That is your choice, not mine." Taiga informed them before placing her hands on both of their shoulders. "But… if you need to talk to anyone… don't be afraid to call me up. I'm always here for you guys. We're like family, right?"

"Fuji-nee…" Shirou muttered in amazement as he looked at the usually hyper woman showing her softer side before nodding. "Alright, I will. Thank you."

_"Family…"_ Sakura thought to herself as she slowly walked out of Taiga's grip and after exchanging a short goodbye with both of them, headed to the door of her next class. She always felt she was in one within the Emiya household, but it was like a silent one. A family that never outright said she was part of the family, but still seemed to give her the message that she was part of it. But to hear the words for real now…

Sakura's spirit was happier than it had ever been for years.

As Shirou bid her farewell, Taiga could not help but to have her thoughts drift into darker areas. Recently, Shirou and Sakura opened up a lot less than usual, and Shinji had been avoiding her and purposefully missing her calls. She had tried to find him in his apartment several times, only for the door to be locked or for him to just not be there.

She had no idea what was going on, but it was beginning to tear the bonds they had apart.

**_Elsewhere (Outside):_**

Saber sat on a bench outside of the school, her eyes closed as she waited for the day to end so that she may be by her Master's side once more. Tsubaki sat next to her, her hands folded on her lap, while Assassin lay on top of a tree branch that was overhead.

She had no idea why Shirou had been so adamant about returning to school after the recent events that had transpired in his life. Honestly, in her opinion, it would have been wiser to stay in the household of Shinji's former Master so that they could recover and perhaps come up with a plan to take down Berserker while also including Rider's assistance. While Sakura no longer needed to be saved, the fact still remained that Berserker was a dangerous opponent. And having Rider on their side would increase the odds of their victory tremendously.

"Gah, this is taking too long…" Assassin whined as he shifted, making the leaves shake as he stared at the cloudy sky. "I kinda remember why I hated school so much. Or at least the lectures…"

"Black*Star, the classes weren't that bad." Tsubaki said with a frown as she looked up to her partner. "Besides, Professor Stein and Sid worked really hard to make their lesson plans."

"Oh come on Tsubaki, they were boring!" Assassin argued as he glanced down at her. "It was all 'Soul Wavelength needs to flow' this and 'if a Kishin Egg is fifty yards away' that! The missions were totally cooler than sitting around in a boring classroom all day!"

"Oh…" Tsubaki sighed as she looked down and muttered, "At least Sid and Maka can't hear you right now…"

Saber was legitimately curious about the terms Assassin was throwing around. _"'Kishin Egg'? 'Soul Wavelength'? Just what kind of education did they receive?"_

"What about you Saber?" Tsubaki spoke up, attempting to start another conversation with the Servant of the Sword. "How was your school life?"

Saber blinked at the question. No one had ever asked her something like that. "It was… difficult. I needed to learn numerous forms of knowledge in order to be prepared for being a king."

Assassin could understand that. Since Saber was really King Arthur, it wouldn't be difficult to comprehend that she needed to have her book smarts in order to rule an entire kingdom.

But still, any type of lesson that didn't involve one's fists sucked in Assassin's opinion.

"King?" Tsubaki asked, looking at Saber with a confused expression on her face. "But you're a girl! Shouldn't you be a queen?"

"My country required a king, and thus I became one." Saber replied calmly. "My gender is not something that should take precedence over such a duty."

"Still, I don't think they would have minded if you just told them that you were a girl." Assassin spoke up, making Saber look to him. "And if they would have had some grief over it, then screw them!"

_"If only it had been that simple."_ Saber thought to herself glumly as she looked down. She could not blame them for their simplistic outlook on her life. After all, they did not understand the need for Britain to have a king and only a king. There was no room for compromises concerning things like gender. _"But could have things turned out better if I had revealed it?"_

Ever since her discussion with Rider, she had begun questioning the actions she had performed in life. At first they had just been whispers of doubt. But now she couldn't stop thinking about 'what ifs' and how her life might have turned out differently. _"To think, it would take the words of one of my enemies to doubt myself…"_

"Well anyway…" Tsubaki interrupted, clasping her hands together. "I think it's good that Sakura and the others get a bit of time in school. Sakura needs it, after getting captured by Avenger…"

"Oh, so she got kidnapped?"

Saber's head whipped to the side, only to see Archer with a bottle of milk in his hands. He looked amused as he observed how the two Servants instantly bolt upwards at his presence.

"What the Hell are you doing here you bastard?" Assassin demanded as he jumped to the ground and stood beside Tsubaki, glaring at the Servant.

"Rin goes to school here, remember?" Archer asked slowly, as if treating Assassin like he was an idiot. "I got to watch over her and all, incase Servants try to attack her while she's in class."

Saber could not argue with the enemy Servant's logic. After all, she was there for the same reason.

"If it's a fight you want, I'll take you on!" Assassin yelled as he pointed at Archer with his right hand. "We didn't get to finish our last fight!"

"Is there really a need for that? If Saber had arrived a second later you'd have been dead." Archer argued while grinning at Assassin, who growled at the insinuation. "But honestly, I have no orders to attack you guys. So what's the point in fighting?"

"Then what are you here for Archer?" Saber asked, making Archer turn to her and raise an eyebrow while taking a sip of his milk bottle. "There is no reason to confront us unless you have a purpose."

"Hey, I just wanted to talk." Archer responded while raising his hand defensively. "And well, I have a question to ask."

"What is it?" Tsubaki asked while narrowing her eyes at Archer.

Archer's grin faltered for a second before he said, "Apparently, Rin's teacher, Kotomine Kirei, died. Someone stormed the church and used several firearms to do it."

_"Maiya." _The group thought as one as they remembered the story behind Maiya's injuries. So she had been successful in killing the Church Overseer….

"And Rin was pretty upset about it last night." Archer continued in a fairly vague tone, allowing his cat-like eyes to study the group. "And from what I can tell, only Saber's Master has the weaponry available for an attack like that. So Saber…" He now looked at the Servant directly. "Did he do it?"

Saber did not know what type of relationship Archer's Master and the Church Overseer had held. For all she knew, they could have been in an alliance or just simple acquaintances. Either way, there was a possibility that Rin might react negatively to whatever information she gave, so her reply had to be a simple "No."

Archer hummed to himself as he continued to study Saber while taking another sip of his milk. Her body language definitely said that she wasn't lying about that. _"Cross one suspect off the list…"_ He thought and proceeded to ask, "Know anybody who might have done it?"

"Look you bastard, I don't know what Rin's deal is with that priest but don't go blaming us for him getting killed!" Assassin argued as he stamped his foot down in anger. "So how about you get lost before I show you just how big of a star I really am!"

"Hey come on! No need to start a fight." Archer said with a laugh. "But yeah, I can see that these questions aren't really the best ones to ask right now. So I'll just be going."

"What, you fleeing like a coward now?" Assassin asked, completely ignoring the fact that he had just told Archer to disappear. But Archer only shook his head.

"Nah, just trying to keep the day peaceful for them." He inclined his head to the school. "I think they deserve a bit of a break from all this craziness, you know?"

With that Archer left, his hands in his pockets to show that he had no desire to fight. Saber and Tsubaki knew that Archer was right. Their Masters needed time to themselves, time free from the troubles of the Holy Grail War. If they got into a fight, they would simply make their lives even more difficult.

Assassin could only grumble out one thing:

"Still would have won…"

**_Elsewhere (Shinji's Apartment):_**

The steam from the teapot whistled throughout the quiet apartment as Shinji turned off the stove and placed it on another area to cool down.

Usually this was a ritual he only did in the mornings by himself. Waking up early and making himself some tea in order to relax before a hard day at work. And if Taiga had stayed for the night, he would make one for her too. He never really had any guests at his place, and other than his close friends and family, he never really went out of his way to talk to anyone.

But today was different.

After his conversation with Sola-Ui, he had left immediately. He didn't want to stay longer than that. He didn't want to see Shirou or the others while they grieved over Maiya's condition, something that was entirely his fault.

It was something that he could have prevented, had he not distracted himself in fighting Avenger.

He instantly went to bed, not talking to anyone and ignoring the ringing of his phone. Taiga had called him around twenty times throughout the entire day, but he could not bring himself to answer it. How could he talk to her, after all that had happened? She would see his condition and would try to help, but he could not do any of that without telling her the truth of his origins.

That could not happen.

However, today he had a very… unexpected guest with him.

"The tea will be ready in a second Rei." Shinji announced as Lancer sat on the couch in his living room, her hands folded on top of her lap. She wore her old school uniform, like she had done the last time she had visited him. _"She definitely hasn't changed…"_ Shinji thought to himself as he began to pour the tea into the cups. He then stopped for a second. _"…But she isn't my Rei, so… does that mean she never changed to begin with?"_

The fact that Lancer was not technically his Rei was difficult to comprehend. To think that the Grail had the capacity to actually summon alternate versions of heroes was baffling. Did it mean that the Throne of Heroes also held alternate versions of him as well? _"Maybe… it holds Rei's… me?"_

Lancer did tell him that the Shinji she knew had died with her. However, those details were sketchy, and Lancer seemed… sad to recall them. So he wasn't going to push it. But, Shinji was morbidly curious about it to a degree. Was the him that Lancer knew the same whiny kid he had been, the one that saw his troubles as the only ones in the world, ignoring how others were suffering just as much as he was? Was he seeking his father's approval by piloting the Evangelion, or did he really wish to protect humanity?

_"No, stop thinking that…"_ Shinji thought to himself as he put down the teapot and picked up both the cups, walking to Lancer with quiet steps. _"Stop thinking bad things about her Shinji…"_

_"Because he was more of a hero than you." _A voice in Shinji's mind whispered to him, making Shinji shake his head to clear those thoughts. He gave Lancer the most reassuring smile he could manage and handed her the cup saying, "Here you go Rei."

Lancer nodded as she gently took the cup and took a small sip while Shinji sat down beside her on the couch. He looked at his reflection on the liquid's surface, and saw several bags under his eyes, his hair being slightly messed up as well. They were a testament to his recent dreams and the lack of sleep.

"…Ikari."

"Yes, Rei?" Shinji asked, turning to Lancer who stared at him with her ruby eyes.

"Why did you leave Master and the others in… Sola-Ui's… household?" Lancer asked, making Shinji sigh.

"I just… couldn't stick around. Not after hearing the news." Shinji replied, looking back at his reflection. "It's all my fault Rei. I could have just straight-up summoned Unit-01 and ended my fight with Avenger in an instant."

"Kotomine Kirei was most likely a dangerous opponent." Lancer informed Shinji, watching the older yet different pilot of the Evangelion's eyes become clouded with guilt. "It is likely that she would have been injured anyways."

"Maybe, but I could have prevented the whole thing from getting too serious!" Shinji argued, only for Lancer to shake her head.

"Logically, it would have taken another Servant to prevent the conflict between Hisau Maiya and Kotomine Kirei from occurring. However, Hisau-san wished to act in secret. You simply acted on her wishes. It was not your fault." Lancer shot back, making Shinji clench his hand on the glass.

"You don't understand Rei." Shinji spat out as he glared at his reflection. "You don't understand how it feels when you know that you could have done something to prevent the whole situation from happening, but did not do it. I fought to protect Taiga-chan from being hurt, and I should have been more worried about Sakura and Maiya. Now Shirou knows that Maiya may never wake up again, and I'm the one who could have stopped that from happening!" Shinji turned his head to Lancer, who now seemed sad for him of all things! "Every time I try to act, I make fucking stupid decisions that make everything worse! I'm the same selfish little bastard that goes around crying about only himself! I…!"

*CRACK*

Shinji looked down and saw his glass now being covered in spider-web like cracks, yet miraculously still held together. With that, Shinji quickly ran over to the garbage can and dropped the thing in there. _"Damn it…"_ He lost his temper, again, and in front of Rei again as well! What was wrong with him? How could he be angry at her, when all she was trying to do was help him?

"I… had a dream last night." Rei's voice called out, making Shinji turn to her and saw her looking at her glass, the steam now coming out slowly and in less volume. "I saw you… Pilot Ikari… in a floating fortress. One of my… others… was rescuing him. He was so confused and hurt. Their souls were pushing each other apart…. Katsuragi's was the strongest of them all, and Shikanami's was faltering. The other like me was there as well… and I saw Pilot Ikari being informed of the truth about me…" Her hands began to tighten around her glass. "He saw me as unique, and refused her… saying that she was not the true me… She doesn't even know the truth about her… Our origins…" She then looked to Shinji, her red eyes now filled with sadness. "Ikari… you are not selfish. Whatever mistakes you have made… I do not blame you for them. Please Ikari… do not do this to yourself…"

Shinji dropped his head in shame. He should have never said that stuff in front of her. But despite what she said, he could not get those thoughts out of his head. How he could have been faster, or how he could have done something to prevent Maiya from getting hurt.

"Ikari… do you believe that I'm… unique?" Lancer suddenly asked, making Shinji turn back to her. Why would she…

_"Right, that dream…"_ How Lancer described it was cryptic. He had no idea who Shikanami was, but Misato? Pushing him away rather than the other way around? And him discovering Lancer was a clone matched his memories, but he swore that the he just never spoke to Rei again after that. "Rei… You are unique." Shinji responded, looking at the girl directly in the eyes. "No matter what people say, you are one in a kind. Nothing can truly replace you. Just like your… other "you"… are different from you."

Lancer nodded, and Shinji saw her give a small but happy smile.

"Thank you… Ikari…"

**To Be Continued…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"Too… much… drama…" Taiga whined as she twitched on the floor. "Where is the comedy that this series was based on?"

"Now Sensei, if it was just straight-up comedy the story would be boring." Illyasviel chided as she stood over the woman. "By the way, shouldn't you be happy that you got some screen time?"

_That_ made Taiga perk up, and launched her to her feet and jump up in a cheer. "YES! It's abou time!" She then turned to the screen and gave a sexy pose as she asked, "How did you think I did my adoring fans? Were you amazed by your heroine's drama acting?"

Illyasviel just sighed at Taiga's attempts to become as sexy as possible and just said cheerfully, "Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'Wiping All Out'!"

"CHECK IT OUT!" Taiga cheered out and pumped her fist into the air.

**Note-**** Hey guys, happy belated Easter and April Fools! Hope you guys had an awesome Spring Break. I know I did. But man, horseback riding hurts like hell… anyway, thebeta of this chapter, as usual, is Sir Godot, and he is also the man that helped write Rin's scene.**

**Now I won't lie, this chapter was made under a serious case of writer's block. I know that it happens to the best of us, but I had to make this before the rather vague ideas of how it would go would run dry. Seriously, Writer's Block is a serious bitch. So some of the scenes may feel a bit… awkward… but I tried my best. However, I would also like to hear your opinions on how I did. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I'm a bit self-conscious about this chapter…**

**I'm also sorry to those who are annoyed about how the recent chapters have been dialogue-heavy. I know it may seem boring, but it is necessary for character development. Be aware that this st****ory is slowly approaching the 'Q' note… But do not fear! Action will make its head in the next chapter!**

**I would also like to thank Rowan Seven for his extremely in-depth review for the last chapter. It's actually a coincidence that he suggested I return to the school life, which is what I was actually planning for this chapter to begin with.**

**I also just saw ****_Les Misérables_****, and it was amazing. I don't really like musicals, but I loved this one. The story and characters are amazing, and Hugh Jackman was pretty good. Though Russell Crowe seemed to be trying too hard in his role…**

**Also finished Assassin's Creed III (Finally) and I am now leaning towards buying Bioshock Infinate. If the reviews are right, then it will most definitely be my money's worth…**

**Anyway, remember to check out Fate:Zero Sense's TV Tropes page and add whatever you feel belongs there. I really want to see the tropes you guys feel are appropriate for this fic. **

**Also, do not forget to check out my own stories and look at my profile for my challenges and challenge takers. If you are interested in a challenge, PM me.**

**And review! Reviews fuel my muse, so the more reviews the better! Criticize, but do not flame! Those will be used to roast marshmallows. Tell me what you think of this latest chapter however you can! **

**See you, Space Cowboys! **


	21. Wiping All Out

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Illyasviel watched as a small brown bird perched itself on a tree branch, hopping from one end to the other and pecking at the wood, as if it were searching for something. It's small eyes spotted Illyasviel, and the bird cocked its head in wonder for only a second before flying off to some other area of the forest that surrounded the Einzbern estate.

Before, Illyasviel would have never even bothered exploring the woods. Doing so brought up bad memories of the time when Kiritsugu was with her, when they played and laughed with her mother sometimes joining in on the fun in the wonderful white landscape of Germany. After he left, she never wanted to set foot into the forest surrounding the castle ever again, instead being content to just stay in her room for days on end and cry herself to sleep.

That is, until her grandfather forced her in order to train for the Holy Grail War.

It was so cold, so harsh. She had been sent out with nothing in order to 'improve' her skills. The wonderful times of her childhood were a distant memory then. The only thing that mattered was growing strong in order to make Emiya Shirou pay for taking Kiritsugu away from her.

But in the recent days, things had changed for her. She began seeing the world in a way she never could before. Before, the world outside the Einzbern castle and forest was a place full of interesting things she only saw in books and movies. Now she saw _life_ as something more than her coming death. Berserker's life and her discussions with him showed her how life is precious and beautiful, and how even her own life, however short it may be, has meaning.

It was a different perspective she had never bothered to entertain until now.

_"Yes, before I just wanted the Grail to live longer."_ Illyasviel thought to herself as she looked to the tree branches and leaves covering the sky from view, rays of light peeking through whatever small openings were available. _"I was scared. Scared of dying. Scared of going where mama and Kiritsugu went. I don't want to die, yet… If I don't, will I become something less than human? Is it wrong to try and avoid my time?"_

Those questions plagued Illyasviel's mind for hours on end, and she still had no true answer as to what she should do.

"Illyasviel?" Berserker asked, making Illyasviel turn to the maskless Servant's face. "Its beginning to get dark out. Do you want to go back home?"

Illyasviel took one last look at the woods in front of her, noting that the light was dimmer than before. Had she stayed here for this long? "…Yeah, lets go home Berserker."

With that, Illyasviel began walking in the general direction of the Einbern estate, Berserker following behind her quietly, like always. Despite how quiet Berserker usually was, he was very insightful on topics Illyasviel thought were brief and final only a few days ago. _"But I understand, I guess…"_ Illyasviel thought to herself in resignation as the leaves and twigs were crushed under her boots. _"Living a life like he did would definitely make Berserker know about life and death more than me…"_

Living her life to the fullest was something she had never thought about before. Her life goal was to simply find Emiya Shirou and make him pay. But was that what she really wanted? Ever since her last confrontation with the boy, everything she thought she knew was being questioned. Did her father really try to save her? Was he really that sad about never being able to see her? Was Shirou… _not_ meant to be her replacement?

"Kiritsugu… what really happened?" Illyasviel asked herself quietly, hoping that Berserker wouldn't be able to hear this particular problem.

Unfortunately, the Servant's ears were just too keen.

"Who is Kiritsugu, Illyasviel?" Berserker asked, making Illyasviel grimace a bit. Damn herself for speaking out loud…

"My father." Illyasviel replied curtly, her hands tightening into fists. "He went off with my mother for the last Holy Grail War, and even though he won he ended up destroying the Grail. He never came back for me after that. My grandfather said that his old assistant seduced him and convinced him to abandon the Grail and my mother. That he chose Onii-chan over _me_ because I wasn't good enough for him. I-I believed that for a long time. I hated both him and Onii-chan for a long time…" Illyasviel stopped walking and instead stared at the ground, her face now becoming a mixture of different emotions ranging from rage, despair, and confusion. "But… what Onii-chan and that woman said… they said that he never wanted to leave me. That he tried to come and get me, but Grandfather and the others stopped him…" A harsh sigh escaped her lips, a resigned one much like the numerous robots who had wallowed themselves in despair and self-doubt that Berserker had met throughout his journeys. "I don't know what to think anymore…"

Berserker thought hard on how he should respond to this confession. He was not really one to give the best advice on parental issues. However, he could not let Illyasviel torment herself like this. "I… never really had a father." Berserker confessed, his eyes beginning to cloud with sadness. "Braiking Boss was just my master, before the Ruin began and I lost my memory. The closest thing I had to a parent was my creator… Ohgi." Illyasviel's mind flashed to the old caretaker of the little girl Ringo, the man's eyes always filled with regret every time he was near Berserker. "But, I never knew about my origins until I met Braiking Boss for the first time, and he revealed Ohgi's true identity." Berserker then raised his right hand, staring at the white palm before his eyes. "I had no idea what to think. The man who could have revealed everything about myself numerous times before only revealed himself after Braiking Boss gave him no other option. I was both sad, confused, and angry when that news was revealed. Ohgi was the man who made me into a killing machine, to the one who helped ruin the world as Braiking Boss' personal assassin. But… at the same time, I could not blame him. Who was I to judge another man's sins? I had no idea what he was like back then, what he felt, so why should I let it weigh heavily on my mind?"

Illyasviel was at a loss for words. While she saw Berserker's memories, she didn't know how he felt or thought during them. Him confessing his own temporary anger to his creator was surprising to say the least. _"I didn't know he could be anything _but_ sad most of the time."_

"I'm not saying that you should forgive him." Berserker continued, moving his hand to his side once more. "However, you need to try and _understand_ your father. To try and learn everything you can about what he did, and why he did it. That way, you can finally be at peace about the entire thing."

Illyasviel slowly nodded her head before whispering, "Thank you Berserker." and continuing onward, Berserker following right behind her.

Illyasviel knew that she could not get rid of the resentment deep within her towards Kiritsugu and Shirou. She didn't think she ever _could_, even if she killed the boy. But maybe, just maybe, she could find some amount of peace if she got some _real_ answers towards what happened to her father ten years ago.

The rest of the walk back continued on in silence.

**_Elsewhere (Emiya Residence):_**

_"Trace On…"_

With those two words, Bakuya and Kanshou appeared in Shirou's hands within the empty dojo room. Like always, they were covered in those same thin red hexagonal markings. Frowning, Shirou dismissed the two swords in a flash of light before closing his eyes once more.

_"Trace On!"_

Next, the sword he copied from Caster appeared in his hands. It took both in order to actually use the sword properly, and the blade was pretty heavy in its own right. A bit heavier than both Bakuya and Kanshou, but nothing that could make him strain himself. Shirou turned the blade and looked at his reflection on the flat of the sword.

There were almost unnoticeable bags under his eyes, showing how tired he really was. But he could not just sleep. What happened to Maiya and Sakura still struck deep within him, despite the pep talk Taiga gave him. He couldn't really get himself to go to sleep, or even to relax.

_"There's too much at stake here for things like that."_ Shirou thought to himself in frustration as he gave the sword a few practice swings, hearing the sword slice through the air each time. _"Sakura and Maiya-san got hurt because I was too weak to do anything. I need to keep that from ever happening again!"_

Shirou stopped swinging the sword before studying it one more time. Like the two Chinese swords, it had gained the red hexagonal markings all over its form. Shirou had no idea why this happened at all. _"Why does the blueprint keep showing no matter what?"_

In order to Trace a sword, he had to visualize its blueprint. It was a necessary step in bringing the construct into the world. However, theoretically, the blueprint _should_ disappear when the process was finished.

So why wasn't it?

_"I need to figure this out. I need to get stronger…"_ Shirou thought to himself as he lowered the sword. _"But… my skills are nowhere near good enough. Kuzuki-sensei was able to kick my ass with hardly any effort on his part. How can I hope to face a _Servant_ long enough to get everyone to safety?"_

"Shirou." Saber's voice called out before the sliding door opened, revealing the Servant in her normal civilian clothes. "So this is where you have been all day."

"Yeah, sorry…" Shirou muttered as the sword disappeared from his hands. "Did I worry everyone?"

"Sakura and Luvia seemed to be distressed after you left straight for home after school." Saber replied while stepping into the dojo. "I followed you here."

"Ah, figures…" Shirou replied, smirking a bit as he did. Despite everything, Saber still took her status as his Servant seriously. "Sorry, but I have to keep training."

"For our next battle, you mean?" Saber inquired, making Shirou nod his head in confirmation.

"Yeah, I can't just let myself be beaten easily anymore." Shirou replied, his eyes narrowing with conviction. "I'm tired of just being beaten to the side whenever I don't have any guns on me. If Maiya-san hadn't helped me distract Avenger's Master, I probably would have died. And Kuzuki-sensei almost made that happen even with these…" With that, the two Chinese swords appeared in his hands once more. "So I need to get better. I _have_ to make sure what happened to Maiya-san never happens again, not when I can do something to stop it."

Saber watched as her Master gave the swords a few more practice swings. The boy had no true form, and the one he had was full of holes. Ones that had multiple openings that could easily get him killed.

While Shirou's conviction was amazing, his swordplay didn't match.

"You should not continue to blame yourself on what happened Shirou." Saber began, making the boy stop in order to listen. "What happened to both Sakura and Maiya were caused by unfortunate circumstances. Nothing we can do now can prevent them from occuring."

_"Like you're one to talk."_ A traitorous part of her mind hissed out. _"Your entire reason for even seeking the Grail was to prevent your own mistakes."_

Saber could not argue with that. She knew that what she just said was quite hypocritical, but at the same time she could not allow Shirou to wallow in self-pity. Doing so might lead to consequences in their next battle.

"Say, Saber…" Shirou began, making Saber look at her Master as he turned to her. "…Would you mind training me?"

"…Shirou?" Saber asked questioningly, making her Master blush slightly as he made the swords in his hands disappear.

"Well, I mean you are a master swordswoman, so you're the best person I could ask to do this for me." Shirou continued, now fully facing Saber with a determined look on his face. "So I need you to train me! The next battle might be tomorrow, two days from now, or even a week! But I need to get stronger. I _won't_ be helpless in my next fight. So please… teach me all you can."

Saber was slightly startled at the pure conviction inside her Master's voice. She only heard that kind of conviction in her knights and a few of the Servants in the last war. He was dead-set on this decision to have her train him in swordsmanship.

"…Very well." Saber replied, walking toward a rack of Bokken and taking one off, throwing it to Shirou who caught it in his hands. "But know this Shirou, I will not coddle you. Once we begin, you will follow my instructions, and perform what I ask of you without hesitation."

_"She's beginning to sound like a drill sergeant…"_ Shirou thought to himself with a small bit of exasperation before nodding in confirmation.

"Good, now we will begin with your stan-"

"YAHOOO!" The shout of Assassin rang though the air, interrupting Saber as the Servant crashed through the sliding door and landing perfectly on the mat, giving Shirou a wide grin and thumbs up. "So you want training huh? Don't worry, 'cause a big guy like me is willing to help you out!"

Tsubaki stepped over the now ruined doorway, sighed, and bowed apologetically saying, "I'm sorry about the damage…"

Before Shirou could try and tell her it was alright, Assassin spoke up once more. "Tsubaki, you don't have to apologize. Guy's a Magus! He can fix it up in no time!"

"That doesn't mean you can break his stuff Black*Star!" Tsubaki huffed out in frustration, though Assassin only continued to grin.

"What is it that you wish to help with?" Saber asked, motioning to Shirou with a raised eyebrow. "I am assisting Shirou in swordplay."

"Please, I go through _awesome_ physical training day after day! A star like me has to always be in his best shape!" Assassin boasted, flexing his right arm muscles. Shirou could not help but notice Tsubaki blush as he did so. Was she sick? "I'll make sure that this guy can get the workout he needs to…"

"Black*Star just wants to help with Shirou's strength and speed." Tsubaki summarized, making Assassin sputter due to his tirade being interrupted. "His workout regime really helps out with that, and speed can really make a difference in a battle."

Saber had to admit, the reasoning was sound. But… "Why is it you want to assist us? What reason do you have?"

"Sakura really cares for the guy." Assassin spoke, his voice becoming more serious than usual. "It would really hurt her if he got himself killed. So I'm going to help make sure that doesn't happen."

_"Sakura…"_ Shirou thought glumly to himself as he remembered the Matou girl. Despite all her own pain, she still cared for her. She was probably worried about him right now. But he _needed_ to do this.

So that neither she nor anybody else would be put in danger during this war.

"Alright, I accept." Shirou stated, making the two Servants (and one Noble Phantasm) turn to him. "Where do we start?"

**_Meanwhile (Kitchen):_**

"Now where did Assassin run off to?" Luvia muttered to herself as she looked around the kitchen from her place on the table, a small cup of steaming tea in front of her. "He was only here a moment ago…"

"Well, Assassin and Tsubaki-san do like to go off on their own from time to time." Sakura told her as she began chopping up carrots with the expertise of a professional chief for the stew that would be a part of their dinner. "Perhaps they went to go check on Sempai and Saber?"

"He shouldn't _need_ to be checked up on." Luvia muttered to herself in frustration as she crossed her arms over her chest. _"Nor should I need to worry about him in his own home…"_

Lately, Shirou had been going off more and more by himself to train. She suspected that it was to improve his Projection ability, but she could not be completely sure. He locked the shed in the back whenever he went there, and would instantly stop whatever he was doing whenever she tried to see him train in the dojo.

Honestly, him closing himself like this was beginning to worry her.

The sad part was is that she knew the reason why this was happening. With Maiya still in a coma and had no signs of waking up anytime soon, it was really eating away at Shirou's mind.

Sakura said nothing as she continued with cooking the food. She was also worried about Shirou's behavior recently, but was a bit more quiet about it. After all, she was also a contributing factor in his recent pain.

By getting kidnapped by Avenger, she had unintentionally brought Maiya to her eventual coma, bringing Shirou more pain than he had ever experienced before. Sakura hated herself for that. She hated herself even more for being unable to tell him about what she thought was Avenger's true identity... that Avenger _was_ Shirou.

_"It could help him take down Avenger, but…"_ She poured the orange vegetables into the steaming pot and set down the chopping board as she continued to think. _"Would knowing that he turned into someone like that hurt him more...?"_

She had already caused Shirou so much pain recently, Sakura didn't know if she could bear giving him another reason to hurt inside. And yet, she _had_ to tell him sooner or later. Knowledge about the other Servants was a deciding factor in the Holy Grail War. And even if revealing Avenger's identity hurt Shirou, knowing who the Servant was might be able to help them somehow.

"I have returned, Master." Lancer's voice spoke, making Sakura turn to see the Servant appear in the middle of the kitchen, making her gasp in shock from the sudden appearance and Luvia spill her tea on the table.

"L-Lancer!" Luvia gasped out in surprise as she stared at the Servant. "Where have you been all day?" The Servant mysteriously disappeared earlier, confusing and worrying Luvia greatly.

The last time Lancer disappeared, she had picked a fight with Rider.

"I was having tea with Pilot Ikari." Lancer explained, Sakura noticing the light hint of coloring in her cheeks as she spoke the next few words. "It was… enjoyable."

"Inform me next time Lancer. I have to know your location in case I'm in need of you." Luvia ordered as she used a napkin to absorb the spilled tea on the table. She paused for a second before asking, "Lancer… do you have any other clothes other than your uniform?"

Lancer seemed to blink in confusion at that question, but her face did not betray her true emotions. "My uniform and my plugsuit are all that I need in order to function for this war."

Luvia stared at Lancer. She could not help it. As the Edelfelt heir, it was her duty to look as good as possible in a wide arrange of outfits for _any_ situation. Hell, she even had a magical girl outfit in the far back of her closet! For Lancer to dismiss the very _idea_ of fashion besides what was necessary was just…! _"But then again, her life…"_

Yes, throughout Lancer's life she never experienced any true comforts regular girls crave. She never bought any hair products, never painted her nails, never used any skin cream, and didn't have any outfits other than her school uniform, gym clothes, and swimsuit. While short in variety, they served their purpose to Lancer, and she never had any reason _to_ get new clothes. After all, she was not a regular girl.

But as a respectable woman of (high) society, Luvia just couldn't leave things as they were.

"Very well then, it is decided!" Luvia declared, pointing at Lancer with her right finger. "Tomorrow, you and I will go into the city and find more fitting clothing for you! I will not have my Servant look like an everyday schoolgirl all the time!"

While confused at the suddenness of the entire thing, Lancer complied with a short, "Understood Master."

Nodding in victory, Luvia turned her head to Sakura and stated, "You may come as well Matou. However, you must purchase things with your own money."

Sakura thought about Luvia's offer. Honestly, with all that had happened lately it seemed a little strange to go clothes shopping. Then again, it would be better than just sitting around and waiting for the next enemy to rear his or her head. It might even help take their mind off things. While Sakura was not one to go on a shopping spree, a new dress might be nice. It might even impress Sempai and help get his mind off of all the depressing things going on around him, even for a minute. But there was also another reason for going. Ever since she returned, Sakura noticed Luvia, Saber, and Shirou being closer than before, on a hidden emotional level that is. For some reason, Sakura could just _sense_ it. Could she perhaps find the reason during this shopping trip?

Only one way to find out.

"Alright, I'll go."

**_Later (Mitsuduri Residence):_**

It was nighttime once again.

The moon's light was shining down on the darkened streets of Fuyuki City, as its residents slept in their homes, oblivious to everything around them.

Waver smiled slightly at this. It was nice when things were peaceful. The peaceful moments during the Holy Grail War were always appreciated, they were times of rest and relaxation before they went off to their next fight.

Unfortunately, he could not just stand idly by anymore. It was time he and Rider went on the offensive.

"Weren't we going to wait until Saber and her Master were ready to take on Berserker?" Rider asked, leaning on Lagann as Waver closed the front door quietly to not wake up its residents.

"We were, but it will probably take a while before that actually happens." Waver replied as he went down the steps and walked to the front of the house. "There are still currently seven Servants in the war. With what happened to the Church, it's obvious that things are starting to heat up."

"That's definitely true." Rider lightly laughed out, a small smile forming on his face. "I can feel it in my gut that this war is going to get good."

"So we need to get going and find the other Servants fast." Waver continued, walking towards Lagann with his own smirk. "Can't let them get the drop on us over here, can we?"

"Yeah." Rider could see Waver's reasoning. If they continued to just watch rather than act, the other Servants would chase after them, potentially harming their host family and his wife.

All it took was one little argument to have Waver find his determination once again.

"So can you sense any Servants out right now?" Waver asked, making Rider close his eyes in concentration.

While normally Servants could immediately find other Servants (Except Assassin) should they focus enough, Rider was a bit different. He didn't rely on Mana or Prana output from a being. No. He relied on something greater and more powerful. A power source barely even tapped into on this world.

_Spiral_ power to be exact.

Every living being had it. It was, after all, the power of evolution and determination (Or manly spirit as bro and the others described it). No being, except those artificially created, had Spiral Power absent from their bodies.

Besides Berserker, all the Servants had more Spiral Power than the average human, allowing him to track them down easily.

From what he could tell, only one was out tonight exploring the city…

"Got one." Rider replied as he jumped into Lagann's cockpit, Waver sitting on the side while Rider put in his drill into the slot. "Alright, let's go!"

As Lagann lifted off the ground and into the night sky, Waver's thoughts turned over to what happened little more than a day ago.

The confrontation with his wife was emotional on many levels. While his harshness had been justifiable, it also had another hidden reason.

He didn't want Ayako dragged into _their_ world. A world where Magi rule, one filled with generation-long conspiracies and men and women willing to kill one another over family secrets. While Dai-Gurren had many supporters, the fact remained that they needed to gather more strength before they could change things.

And that strength can come from the Holy Grail.

_"I'll protect all of them." _Waver thought to himself with a smile as the wind rushed past his face. _"I'll carve out a better future for both Magi and regular humans. Just wait Kamina, I'll show you how far I've come since you last saw me."_

**_Elsewhere In The City:_**

"Phew! It's pretty breezy today!" Archer laughed out as he and Rin continued to jump from rooftop to rooftop, the lights of cars and streetlamps shining down in the street below while Rin held onto her Servant for safety.

While it was a gamble, she had to go outside during this night. Whoever targeted Kirei's church might be after her due to association, and what better way to draw them out than to go out in plain sight?

_"If it's just Emiya and Saber, Archer and can handle them." _Rin thought to herself, her eyes narrowing under her sunglasses. _But if it's someone like Einzbern, we'll need to retreat."_

The bad thing about this plan was the possibility that the perpetrator might be stronger than her Servant, or her for that matter. Not many people could get the drop on Kirei after all, but she was another matter. Rin _knew_ that someone might be after her life specifically. Such a case was possible for all Masters in the Holy Grail War. Choosing a target and then eliminating it.

"Just focus Archer, and keep your eyes sharp." Rin ordered as they landed on another building, the Fuyuki Museum to be exact.

Fuyuki City's more urban district had many moderate skyscrapers while also containing small but more modern apartment complexes and stores. All of which were high enough that any light-night visitors won't notice any strange beings performing inhuman leaping heights.

Besides, as strange as it may seem, people hardly ever looked up.

"Hey now, don't you remember my class Rin? I'm _Archer_ remember? My eyes are _always_ sharp." Archer cheekily spoke to Rin, who flushed slightly at the teasing.

"I-I know tha… J-just pay more attention!" Rin fumed out, making Archer chuckle. Really, despite the situation, Archer _still_ didn't stop with his jokes or teasing. "The one who killed Kirei might be out here! We can't let down our guard for a minute."

"Ah geez, Rin, I know that…" Archer chuckled out before jumping once more to the building in front of him. "But still, do you really think that its okay to leave your mom and that Bazette woman alone?"

The Wards will tell me if someone is trying to break in. If so, we'll go there immediately." Rin replied, but she too felt worry about her mother being alone within the house.

Aoi never learned any combat spells. She was married to her father for her Circuits, like most marriages between Magi were. And since Tokiomi handled most situations with his own impressive magic, she never felt inclined to. But now her father was no longer there. It relied on Rin to keep her mother safe should someone target them.

_"Not only that, but now there's a cripple in the house whose circuits are completely fried." _Rin thought bitterly to herself, but immediately felt a pang of guilt about referring to the former Master of Avenger in that way. It was not her fault the woman was helpless now, and it was her decision to bring her to the Tohsaka household rather than a hospital. If anything, she herself was to blame. _"Maybe I should have moved them someplace else, like father and… Archer… did with me and her last time."_

Remembering the Archer from the last war along with her father left a cloud of sadness over her. Especially after hearing Sakura's anger in the graveyard. Before, she thought Tohsaka Tokiomi was a perfect role model. Something to aspire to, something to remember fondly of whenever she felt depressed. But now, that image was tainted with the fact that he himself gave her sister to the Matou family and subjected her to that hellish 'training'.

However, from what she remembered, the last Archer was genuinely kind. He held no adult coolness or even had an air of suspicion around him. He was nice to her and her childhood friend Kotone, and saved them from being casualties in that serial killer's sick form of entertainment. She and Kotone somewhat drifted apart after grade school, but still kept in touch from time to time. Rin remembered how she constantly made sketches, saying that she wanted to make manga, something surprising considering there were few female manga authors. She saw her drawing sketches of the last Archer, all of which were incredibly accurate to the real thing. Rin remembered that Kotone said she was going to make her story something similar to a western mixed with science fiction…

"Rin…" Archer whispered, making her turn to see the Servant's eyes narrowing. "Someone's headed our way."

Rin shook out the thoughts about the past from her mind. The right now was more important. "Fine. Let's wait for them then."

With that, Archer stopped on the rooftop of a hotel building and set her down on the ground. Rin lightly patted her skirt to keep it in place before looking to the sky and seeing a green streak of light fly towards them. "What in the world…?"

In the next second, the streak stopped right before them, allowing Rin to see the object more clearly.

It was easy to recognize, considering that it was a giant face with two stubby legs and arms.

"Yo!" Rider called out, grinning as he landed the small mecha onto the roof. "Have to say, didn't expect to see you guys out here!"

"Same goes for you." Archer replied as he watched the enemy Master and Servant step out of the mecha and face them. "But then again, we don't get that many opportunities to meet."

"Well, there are always the random coincidences that happen once in a while. A day ago, I sat down with Saber at a restaurant." Rider replied with a shrug, making Archer chuckle much to Rin's shock. They were supposed to be enemies, yet they were still striking up a friendly conversation?

"You... you're the Tohsaka head right?" Waver asked, his eyes narrowing just a bit as he began digging into his jacket pocket. "I'm sorry that we haven't been properly introduced even though we met at the temple. I am…"

"El-Melloi the Second. At least that's your title, Waver Velvet." Rin said curtly, making the man blink. "I heard about you from some associates of my father."

"Good, saves me an explanation." Waver replied, taking out a small corked vial that held a silver liquid inside of it. "Before we do this, would you be willing to just surrender? Will save us both much time and pain."

It went against Waver's code to _not_ offer this option to another Master before a battle.

"Absolutely not!" Rin instantly replied as she began to slowly reach for her coat pocket, containing all the jewels she brought with her just in case she went into a fight.

While she heard Waver was very knowledgeable in numerous fields of Magecraft, he was a rather average Magus. The only area that Waver was said to truly shine in is Alchemy. However, he made up for his lack of spells with the Archibald Mystic Code: Volumen Hydragyrum.

However, Rin had a few tricks of her own.

Yet, there was still one last thing she had to ask.

"Tell me, Lord El-Melloi..." Rin began, making the man raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "…Did you have anything to do with the destruction of the church?"

"No. I'd have no reason for doing something like that. Destroying the church causes too many problems that I'm comfortable with." Waver replied truthfully while Rin studied his reaction. His face, his speech, his hand movements…

Nothing was saying that he was a lie.

_"So then he isn't the one that killed Kirei…"_ Rin thought to herself, making sure that she kept Waver in her sights. "_At least I can cross him off my list for now."_

"So, looks like we will have to fight…" Archer muttered as his hand began to drift towards his gun.

"Yeah, we do." Rider replied with a grin as he slowly began to unsheathe his sword. "Sorry, but don't expect that you will take me out so easily."

The rooftop became quiet at that moment, the wind blowing and howling ominously over the improvised battlefield. Rin unconsciously held her breath in the dense atmosphere, and Waver felt a bead of sweat run down his neck.

Less than a heartbeat later, Archer drew his gun while Rider unsheathed his blade. Archer shot a single bullet at Rider, who sliced it down the middle with his sword.

Thus, their battle began.

Archer fired a second shot at Rider's forehead, who ducked in order to avoid it. Archer saw the bullet pass through Rider's spikey blue hair, showing how close it was to ending the Servant's life. _"He's fast, but not that fast."_

_"Can't hurt him from here. Time to get up close and personal." _With that, Rider leapt towards Archer, his Nodachi held with both hands to his right side and ready to cut the enemy Servant in half. "TAKE THIS!"

Quickly, Archer leapt back just in time to avoid the strike, but his white shirt was torn cleanly right where his belly was. "Heh, guess you're fast when you want to be! However…" As he landed on the ground, Archer raised his gun at Rider and instantly pulled the trigger. "…So am I!"

Rider's eyes widened as he saw the bullet head towards him. _"Damn, it's coming in too fast!" _Despite his low speed, Rider was quick when it counted. Thus, he began moving to his left, making the bullet head near his right shoulder rather than his chest.

Rider felt pain as the bullet entered his shoulder. He felt the cracking of bone, the piercing of skin, and the heat of the bullet all at once as it punched through his shoulder. "Gh!" Rider grunted in pain, but ignored it as he pushed his advance at Archer and raised his sword. "Like that's going to stop me!"

Rider brought the sword down while Archer raised his gun. The blade hit the metal of the firearm in a flash of sparks. Archer grimaced with the force of the blow. Rider a much stronger physical fighter between the two Servants. Archer then gasped in pain as a punch hit him right in the abdomen, forcing the Servant of the 'Bow' to jump back to put some distance between him and Rider.

"A sucker punch?" Archer coughed, seeing Rider's right hand clenched in a fist.

"A real man uses his fists." Rider laughed out softly before running to the edge of the building and jumping to the surface of the skyscraper across, running up the vertical surface. "But let's take this somewhere else!"

_"Shame I have to kill this guy."_ Archer thought to himself as he loaded more bullets into his gun and jumped to the same building that Rider went on, following close behind the Servant. _"But still, why hasn't he used his mecha thing against me?"_

It wasn't that he was complaining that Rider hadn't decided to use his ace, but Archer still took note of it. After all, in his old line of work ignoring something might get oneself killed. He'd just kill Rider before he got it in his head to use his Noble Phantasm!

Waver poured the silver liquid onto the floor, the Code slowly growing and forming into the familiar visage of Bender. "I'm back baby!"

"W-What!?" Rin cried out in honest confusion as she pointed at Bender. "What the hell is that!?"

"What kind of retard doesn't know my handsome mug?" Bender shouted back, pointing at Rin as well with narrowed 'eyes'. "The name's Bender Bending Rodriguez! Remember it, meatbag!"

"What kind of Mystic Code can talk and have that ridiculous of a name!? It makes no sense!" Rin argued back in frustration. She heard rumors that the Archibald Crest had some strange 'bugs', but how could a simple bug result in something like this?

"Well you can kiss my shiny metal ass!" Bender shouted once more, seemingly as if to end the entire argument. Rin sputtered with outrage as the defective Code turned to Waver. "Who's the broad?"

"Rin Tohsaka. I'll be fighting her." Waver replied, pinching the bridge of his nose at the Code's antics. Honestly, he should research how to completely purge the Code of its 'personality'. It was beginning to get annoying.

"Wait you mean…" Bender began, realization dawning on it before it began to turn and walk away while waving its hand. "See ya meatbag! Try not to die too fast!"

"You know that as the bearer of the Crest, you are obliged to follow my will." Waver reminded, making the Code stop. Perhaps it was beginning to remember…?

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Apparently not, because the Code instead began to laugh as if it were told a joke. Waver felt his patience end as it began to walk away and continued to laugh. That did it!

_"Fervor, mei sanguis _(Boil, my blood)_!" _Waver shouted while reaching his arm towards Bender, making the construct stop moving and shake a little before it turned around and began walking back towards Waver. Rin could see in the big cartoonish eyes that there was absolutely no emotion within the construct. It was acting like a, well, _robot_.

The reason why was simple. Despite the Code being faulty and developing its own personality, it still accepted its old commands. What Waver just said a second ago reverted it back to its 'battle' mode, which would end once Waver dismissed it. The 'battle mode' complexly purged the Code of any personality, making it the perfect weapon to use against any enemy.

Rin seemed to comprehend this as well, because she bent her knees in preparation and pointed her left index finger at Waver, shouting, _"Gandr_!"

Black projectiles flowed out of her finger like a gun, however Bender's left hand formed into a shield as it moved in front of Waver. Each curse instantly exploded on the shield, small plumes of smoke forming as they impacted. However in a second, Rin saw that all they did was form liquid-like ripples on the shield's surface.

"_Scalp _(Strike)!" Waver's voice ordered, making the Code's arms change into billyclub-like objects and revealing that Waver was in fact unharmed by the attack. The two 'arms' stretched and moved towards Rin in breakneck speeds, forcing her to leap out of the way as they impacted the ground. Cement cracked and pieces of debris flew, making Rin gape in shock at the precise destruction.

_"I definitely need to avoid that…"_ Rin thought idly to herself before fiddling around with the jewels in her pockets. As a member of the Tohsaka family, she was more than an expert in the transferring of power into jewels. She, as her father before her, spent years honing her skills and storing power into jewels of all kinds. It was a reason why she was a _teensy_ bit thrifty with money since she used most of it on getting new materials.

From what she had seen, despite being an average Magus, the Crest that Waver possessed gave him a very dangerous Code. It specialized on both defense and offense. However, she only attacked him with projectiles just now. _"Let's see what happens when I give him something that's not a projectile…"_ Rin thought to herself as she grabbed an uncut saphire from her pocket, containing a wind spell equivalent to a D-Rank spell, before flinging it at the ground in front of Waver.

Waver's eyes widened as the object began to glow, thinking the word _"Shit!" _as he began to run to the side before the thing exploded, smacking Waver _hard_ with a mighty gust of wind as it threw him back by several feet. His back hit the edge of the building, making the man cry out in pain as he rolled over it. Waver's right hand grabbed the edge just before he fell to the unforgiving alley ground as his left nursed his now bruised back. _"Damn, should have attacked her again and kept her on her toes. Now Tohsaka knows…"_

While Volumen Hydragyrum still had its near-perfect defense against projectiles, the bugs it got from the lightning bolt disrupted just _how_ perfect the defense was supposed to be. It only protected him against _just_ projectiles rather than all types of threats. Any other attack needed a specific order from him if he wanted the Code to guard him. Unfortunately, Waver never had the time to fix it. Thus resulting in this fatal weakness of the Code.

The wind of the spell died down, and Waver closed his eyes as he applied Reinforcement to his arm and lifted himself back onto the rooftop. Grimicing in pain slightly as a sharp pain entered in his back, he spotted Bender in the same spot, not having moved an inch since he last used it. _"If it wasn't in battle mode, it would have just walked away without a care in the world…" _ Waver looked around the rooftop and found no trace of Rin anywhere. _"Did she escape? Or is she just hiding somewhere to get the drop on me…?"_

A whizzing sound in the air signaled the firing of ten more _Gandr_ shots, prompting Bender to begin blocking them all once again. However Waver was not an idiot. He knew that once the projectiles were done she would fling another prana-filled jewel at him. Thus, he took the initiative and began running to his right, using the light smoke from the _Grandr_ as a smokescreen to shortly cloak his escape. With luck, she would now throw the jewel early and reveal her location to him, that way he could order an attack from the Code…

Suddenly, as he passed by a generator on the roof, Rin appeared from the corner with her right fist reared back while her left was raised in a guard-like position. _"Shit, it was a diversion!"_

"Haaa!" Rin cried out as she threw her reinforced fist forward, Waver barely having enough time to Reinforce his body before it struck his chest. Waver felt his ribs buckle and was pretty sure two cracked as Rin pulled it back. She swept her left leg, knocking Waver off his feet and onto the ground.

If he didn't act soon, he was pretty sure the Magus was going to kill him.

Digging into his pants pocket with his left hand, he grabbed two pharmaceutical-looking pills and crushed them before throwing them into the air, making them shine a bright green light and forcing Rin to cover her eyes.

While he may be weak in the Magic department, Waver was a damned good Alchemist. Thus, he always kept these emergency light 'pills' in case he was stuck somewhere with no form of light nearby, or if the power went out.

They also made a pretty good flash-bomb.

Acting fast on his advantage, Waver swept the Tohsaka's feet from the ground with his own legs. As she fell, he rose and ignored the pain as he hooked his left arm across her throat and grabbed her right, pulling it back painfully. In a moment, Waver disconnected the arm from Rin's shoulder and made her scream in pain despite him trying _very_ hard to deprive her from getting more air.

The reason for that was simple: To knock her unconscious. Waver knew enough about human biology (And seen enough fighting movies) to know that depriving someone of oxygen long enough would knock them unconscious. He didn't want to kill the girl, he just wanted to put her out of commission long enough so that she wouldn't become a problem anymore.

Unfortunately, that was not the case as Rin brought her left shoulder back and nailed him in one of his bruised ribs, making the Magus gasp out in pain and loose his grip. Instantly, she launched herself forward and coughed while taking in deep breaths.

"_Scalp_!" Waver ordered once more, internally ordering the Code not to leave any life-threatening damage as Bender attacked once more. However, despite her own injuries, Rin was quick enough to jump to the side and make the attack miss.

Looks like the battle would be longer than Waver would have liked…

**_Back With The Servants:_**

Archer and Rider continued to run up the skyscraper, not even stopping for a second as wind rushed past their faces. Archer quickly brought his gun and aimed it, firing two more shots at the Servant parallel to him while not stopping for a second. Rider raised his left arm and made the bullet deflect off of the Nodachi. The second one passed by his left cheek, only leaving a small bleeding cut.

_"He's definitely lucky if I keep missing his vitals like this." _Archer thought with a frown as he looked at the Servant. _"And he keeps moving to avoid staying in one place, which would make him an easier target."_

While normally this would not be a problem, Rider was a much different Servant from Assassin. While Assassin stuck to one style that Archer could more or less predict, Rider's fighting style was more improvised than Lancer's. It was like bits and pieces of actual fighting styles used sparingly and paired up with normal brawling and the swinging of his sword.

This made it hard to predict whether or not a bullet could actually hit Rider, since he while he could make a bullet still hit Rider if he would deflect it one way, Rider could either choose to avoid it altogether or deflect it at a completely different angle.

His luck didn't help much either.

_"No choice then. Rin's counting on me, and I don't want to leave her alone to fight an experienced Magus." _With that said, Archer raised his gun and electricity danced around the barrel.

_"That doesn't look good."_ Rider thought to himself with a frown. While it was annoying that he could not land that many hits on Archer, he was making it hard for Archer to land any hits on him. But now, it looked like the Servant was bringing out the big guns.

Looks like he could bring out his.

"_LAGANN_!" Rider shouted at the top of his lungs, just as Archer shouted one word.

"_Railgun_!" Archer fired the powerful shot, the projectile Noble Phantasm barreling at the enemy Servant. For a moment, it was only five feet away and looked as if its impact was certain.

The next second, a green streak of light passed by, making the Noble Phantasm pass through empty air.

"What the…?" Archer questioned as he stopped running and instead looked up to see Rider piloting Lagann once more. _"So he finally decided to use it…"_

"Hey, whatever happened to 'not holding back'?" Archer questioned, only for Rider to simply give a small grin.

"Sorry, but I wasn't holding back. You're just better than what I thought it would take to beat you." Rider said simply before the canopy covered him from view. Lagann's hands turned into drills as Rider's voice came from the loudspeakers, "Now get ready!"

The thrusters burst with green energy as the small Mecha flew to Archer in breakneck speeds, its drills ready to bore numerous holes into Archer's body. "Crap!" Archer shouted as he jumped up to the roof of the skyscraper, making the Mecha's drill 'hand' only scratch the bottom of his shoe. As he rolled on top of the building, he inspected the damage.

It was a clean, circular cut that almost hit the bottom of his foot. While it didn't leave any lasting damage to his body, the new groove would mess up his footing if he were to shoot while standing. _"That's going to complicate things…"_ Archer then spotted the Mecha flying up to the sky and fired an experimental bullet at the canopy, only for it to bounce off. _"Figures, its bulletproof too…"_ Archer clicked his tongue as he began reloading the empty chambers. The situation was not looking very good for him. Rider was more than a match for him. If he didn't think of something fast, he might be forced to use his ultimate attack. _"Wait… The thrusters!"_ Instantly, Archer put in a red bullet into the chamber and fired on the mechanism attaching the thruster to the Mecha. It exploded on impact, halting the thrusters and making the robot begin falling. _"And just in case…"_ "_Railgun_!" Archer fired another at Lagann, this time having it connect with the Noble Phantasm. The small Mecha began to spasm (along with the face making some weird pain-like expressions), making Archer smirk.

The battle was his.

Or at least it was _supposed_ to be.

The next thing Archer knew, a fist was connecting to his face as Rider appeared from above, his right arms stretched out and his face now having a dead-serious expression on it. A small spiral portal appeared beneath the falling Mecha, making it fall into it and disappear completely. _"The hell?! When did he…?" _His eyes widened in shock as realization struck him. He completely forgot to check if the canopy was still closed when it was falling!

But Rider didn't relent from his advance. He used his left hand to knock the gun from Archer's grip before using a right hook to nail him in the stomach. Archer attempted to use his superior speed to put some distance between them, only for Rider to grab him by the coat. "You aren't getting away from me you bastard!" With those words, Rider head-butted Archer in the face, breaking the cartilage in his nose instantly.

As blood spewed out of his new wound, Archer analyzed the situation. In a hand-to-hand fight like this where Rider already had the upper hand, he would loose. He preferred to fight from a distance rather than actually up close and personal, using all the tricks he could to win. But now Rider could tell what was his 'comfort' zone. _"Not only that, but I fired two Railguns. I only have one left and…"_ Archer's eyes widened in panic. _"Oh crap, RIN!"_

His Noble Phantasm, while powerful and deadly, also took a lot of prana to use. Mostly that prana came from Rin herself since she was his Master. But he fired two out of three already, and Rin was fighting an experienced Magus.

She would be in no condition to fight back for long.

With that in mind, Archer's hand shot into his jacket and pulled out a small grenade with a grinning black cat on the face. Before Rider could react, Archer pulled the pin and heavy grey smoke flowed out. Rider began to cough while fanning the smoke away, only to see Archer's silhouette jump off the edge. _"Damn it, he's getting away!" _Rider was never one to leave a fight once it started, which resulted in him doing many things that most would consider crazy throughout his entire life.

Like jump off a skyscraper in order to catch his opponent.

Luckily, he was a leader of Team Dai-Gurren. Reason was kicked to the curb on a daily basis.

By grabbing the Core Drill and twisting it like a key, Lagann appeared once more fully repaired from its previous damages through a green portal. Rider instantly fell into the cockpit, put the drill in its place, and activated the thrusters.

His fight wasn't done yet.

**_With Rin and Waver:_**

Rin panted as she clutched her dislocated right arm, grimacing in pain as blood dripped down her forehead from behind a vent. _"Can't believe the fight has gone on for this long without anybody noticing…"_

Then again, there _was_ that movie supposedly being filmed within the city. Perhaps it was because of that?

Either way, it did not matter. What did matter was she was hurt, _badly_, and her strength was being depleted from her by the second. Normally, she would put it off as simple exhaustion. But this was _deeper _than that. It was a _Mana_ drainage_. "Just what are you doing up there, Archer?"_

Rin peeked out the corner and saw that Waver was not doing so well either. The blows she landed on the Magus hurt him a great deal. He was clutching his back and the pained expression on his face was easy to spot from a mile away. She was damn good in Chinese martial arts if she had to says so herself, but while Waver lacked in skill he made up for it in physical strength and cunning. She never expected him to use such a simple method to temporarily blind her.

But that did not matter. In her current state, she couldn't keep up the heat on Waver much longer. And when that happened, he would win easily.

_"Not many places to hide_." Waver thought to himself as he scanned the now totaled rooftop. They had been going on for what seemed like hours, changing tactics constantly and keeping each other on their toes. He had to admit, the girl had vey impressive skill. He would have liked her as a student in one of his classes. _"But first I need to make sure we get out of this alive. Both of us…"_

A blur then landed on the rooftop behind a vent, stopping as it hit the ground and revealed itself to be Archer. "Come on Rin, we're getting out of here." With that, he picked up the Tohsaka head in his arms and looked directly at Waver. "Don't try to stop me if you know what's good for you."

Waver could literally feel the killing intent in Archer's tone. It wasn't a threat. It was a _promise_.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Rider's voice shouted from the speakers of Lagann as the Mecha floated above the rooftop. "We aren't finished yet!"

"You weren't…?" Rin began to ask, only for Archer to shake his head.

"You're too injured and drained for me to even try going all-out." Archer said bluntly as he glared at Lagann. "I won't fight with her like this! Let us go and we can continue this another time!"

A tense moment followed, and Waver looked from Rider to Archer and back again. Neither were moving, and Waver was actually afraid that Rider would choose to fight again. He knew that it went against what Rider stood for, but anything could happen now.

Apparently Archer thought so as well, since beads of sweat began forming on his brow.

"…Fine. We'll finish this another time." Rider relented, making Waver breath a sigh of relief as his faith was confirmed.

Archer nodded gratefully before jumping to the next rooftop, slowly disappearing into the distance.

With the enemy Servant gone, Waver turned to Rider and asked, "So how was your fight?"

Rider smirked as he answered with, "More than great. Was shot, but I got a few punches in." He then noticed Waver's pain and asked, "Hey, you need help?"

"Heh… yeah…" Waver croaked out as a new wave of pain shot from his ribs and back. "Ow…"

With the threat gone, Bender 'blinked' and began looking around, "What the…?" He then looked straight at Waver and glared shouting, "Alright, your dead now meatba…!"

Waver threw a magnet, instantly attaching itself onto its head and making it freeze up once more before singing, "She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes~! She'll coming around the mountain when she comes~!"

Waver sighed as Rider set down Lagann onto the roof for him. While he wasn't able to take out a Servant like he originally intended or even incapacitate the Master, instead getting a possibly fractured back and broken ribs, he was still able to get valuable information about Archer through Rider. Not only that, but he was now prepared for whenever he fought with Rin ever again.

All in all, not a bad day all things considered...

**To Be Continued****…**

**Omake-**** It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

"It's about time some action went into this fic!" Taiga cheered, ignoring the fact that Illya was simply lying on the floor reading a magazine while kicking her feet in the air. "The readers will beginning to get bored of all that drama!"

"But drama is important for a fic Sensei." Illyasviel reminded the woman as she turned a page. "Nobody likes action without context."

"But people get bored of too _much_ drama!" Taiga argued back before pointing her Bokken at the 'screen'. "And TIM! What took you so long for the update!?"

"He has a life as his own you know Sensei." Illyasviel mentioned as she smiled at the 'screen'. "I think graduating is a big factor in the delay."

"He didn't delay this much with Lupin…" Taiga sobbed out before a waterfall of tears fell out of her eyes. "ARE WE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!?"

"Stay tuned for the next chapter, "Q Note!"

**Note-**** Hey! It's TIM here giving you the newest chap of Stay Away, betaed by Kiiam! Guy makes the awesome _Want and Need_ and _Holy GAR War in Red _stories along with Betaing my other fic, _JaUT_! Seriously, check out his work. Guy's great at what he does. **

**So the reason for the delay in the latest chap is simple: I'm graduating! Considering all the preparation and practice I have to usually do, I'm just glad to get this out here now!**

**But other than my vague description of my personal life, I was able to discover this little gem of an anime, _Michiko to Hatchin_. It's directed by the same person who did _Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine._ It's got two kickass female leads, one like a combination of Mugen (Samurai Champloo) and Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop) and even has a Cowboy Bebop feel! In fact, its music is produced by Watanabe himself! I highly suggest you all watch it if you love his work. **

**Anyway, I may have worked hard on the fight scene, but I know its not my best. Its purpose is to show the other Masters are not standing idly by and show the strengths and weaknesses of Rin and Waver in actual combat. **

**Criticize, but keep things constructive. **

**Also, you know the drill. Look at the Zero Sense TV Tropes page, add, blah, blah, blah…**

**Now then…**

**_Would you kindly_**** leave a review?**


	22. Q Note Part I: A Cruel Angel's Flight

**I do not own Fate/Stay Night or any of the series' mentioned here.**

Rin groaned in pain as she rubbed her right shoulder, now snapped back into place courtesy of Archer _without _her permission. "You could have just waited for a _minute_ so that I could heal myself!" Rin shouted at her Servant in both anger and annoyance while the Servant just laughed nervously.

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure that it was done right. I don't know too much about how all that magic stuff works. Never was a Magus, remember?" Archer defended himself, seeming to be a bit miffed at Rin's criticism of the medical aid he gave her while she lost consciousness for a brief time. "But trust me, if I had stitched up your cuts before you woke up it would have hurt a _lot_ more. I'm no doctor."

_"Well thank the Lord for small miracles…" _Rin thought dryly to herself as she looked down. They were now back in the Tohsaka household, her mother and the Bazette woman now sound asleep (Although she had a sneaking suspicion that the former Master was just faking it.) It had taken her less than a half an hour to heal the cosmetic injuries that were inflicted on her. The other half was dedicated to fixing her arm and trying to ward off Mana depletion. "Doesn't mean I have to enjoy it…"

"Aw common, don't make that face!" Archer teased with a grin. "Sure, we might not have been able to knock off a Servant but at least we gathered a lot of valuable information."

"Yes, like how Rider is far too powerful for you to take on ever again." Rin commented, now staring at the ground. "If I had known that…"

While Archer had not given the full details of his fight with Rider, Rin did get the gist of what had happened. Despite all of Archer's tactics, Rider was able to counter each one and fight back with much greater force. He actually _held back_ his true strength. If he could have summoned that robot at any time, he could have most likely won the battle when it started. _"The Servants of this war… really are more powerful than I could have ever imagined. Their legends have supplied them with so many tools and skills to use…"_

Not that Rin didn't think that Archer was not powerful in his own right. His stats as a Servant spoke for themselves. But his Noble Phantasms relied mostly on strategy and timing in order to be used correctly. And while he was a skilled gunman like the previous Archer before him, it would take more than just good marksmanship to beat one of the other Heroic Spirits.

"It wouldn't have changed a thing. We would have fought Rider sooner or later." Archer replied with a shrug, shocking Rin to a small degree. Wasn't he the one who was nearly beaten by that Servant? "Trust me, I can handle a bit of punishment. Unless…" A grin then spread on Archer's face. "You're actually worried about me!"

"D-Don't be stupid! It's understandable for a Master to be concerned about her Servant's safety! Without you, I won't be able to get the Grail!" Rin huffed out while crossing her arms. But in a sense yes, she _was_worried about her Servant. Rider and Berserker were truly opponents that he could _not_go up against. And going against Assassin again would mean that he would also have to face Saber. A two-to-one battle was not favorable no matter _how_ you put it.

But it was not only the Servants that worried her, but the Masters as well.

Despite her being a superior Magus, Waver Velvet could have easily beaten her. In fact he was winning in their fight. His physical strength, tactics, and Mystic Code gave him all the tools he needed to pull it off. The only reason she was _not_ dead was due to the fact that Waver didn't seem to want to seriously harm her in the first place. Sakura on the other hand might not be so kind. Rin was still a bit nervous as to what her former sister _truly_ felt about her, and if the next time they meet it would end in blood.

Not only that, but she was _still_nowhere close to discovering who truly killed Kirei. It made no sense, who would risk such a thing? The Church Moderator never took sides during the Grail Wars. Kirei never even helped her other than provide the vaguest of information. She could see no reason why Waver Velvet would do it in hindsight. Despite him being one of the most technologically proficient Magus in the Association (Or so she was told), Kirei's death would not benefit him at all. Nor would it benefit Emiya, who was actually skilled in using modern day weaponry.

So many questions, and she was not getting answers.

_"Did father and Archer also have to deal with this in the last war?"_ Rin asked herself, her hands unconsciously clenching. No matter what, her mind always seemed to go back to her father and his Servant. And for what reason? Yes Tokiomi was her father, but now the previously perfect mental image she had of him was tarnished now because of what she knew happened to Sakura. Did his Servant also know about her sister's fate? _"No, he would have saved her. Like he did with me and the others…"_

"Say Rin…" Archer spoke up, breaking Rin from her dark thoughts and making her look to him. "Listen… you mind giving me money? I gotta buy milk…"

"…" Rin could not help but gape at Archer for the out of place topic change before glaring at him. "What about the gallon that my mother bought this morning?"

Archer let out a nervous laugh as he scratched the back of his head. "You see, about that… I kinda drank it all…"

Rin's eye twitched at the confession. "W-What the hell!?" She then pointed her finger at him accusingly as she continued to rant. "We buy you countless gallons of milk on a weekly basis, and you just chug it down! How much do you think this costs us!? That's it! No more milk for three days!"

"Aw common Rin! Don't be like that~!" Archer whined out, only for Rin to huff and turn away while crossing her arms.

"Perhaps this'll teach you not to take my mother's kindness for granted." Rin said in a smug tone while getting up and walking to her room.

"Rin! Please tell me you're joking!" Archer called out as he followed her from behind, a worried expression spreading across his face. "Come on Rin! I'm sorry! Please don't do this!"

Rin could not help it. She let out a small chuckle while a small smile spread on her face. Her previous worries and insecurities were not bothering her anymore.

She would never admit it, but Archer… was _fun_ to be around.

Especially in these times.

* * *

**_Elsewhere (Mitsuduri Residence):_**

"Please don't move around so much…" Christina muttered as she placed her hands onto the small array on the floor; Waver sitting in the middle of it while Rider was standing off to the side. "It will not work correctly if you continue to fidget."

"I know, but it still aches." Waver admitted, feeling his ribs slowly but surely mend within him and his spine give a low throbbing pain.

"And it will continue to ache for at least a day." She stated while continuing to have her eyes focus on the array. "So please, do not hurt yourself so much."

Waver could not help but feel a little guilty at the small amount of emotional hurt in her otherwise quiet voice. His injuries probably scared her half to death.

"You can't win fights without getting at least a little bit hurt." Rider spoke up with a small chuckle. "Trust me, I got enough scars and bruises to back that up."

Waver could not argue with that. Due to Rider being Kamina's brother, he participated in every battle his former Servant did. And considering the fact that Rider out-lived Kamina, he probably fought in even more. But still… "Why didn't you just summon Gurren Lagann to take down Archer?"

It was a question that had been bugging him ever since his fight with Archer's Master ended. Should he have simply summoned Gurren Lagann straight-up rather than fight Archer on near-equal grounds, the fight would have ended quickly. Neither he nor Rider would have gotten hurt, and one Servant would be out of the war.

"Well, that's how I always fought." Rider replied with a shrug. "I start off with a small drill, and if that doesn't work I just get a bigger drill. I keep working from there until I am able to dig past the thing blocking me." He let out a small laugh as he scratched the back of his head. "I know it doesn't make any sense but…"

"No, it kind of does…" Waver interrupted, making Rider blink in surprise. "No matter how small you are, you just keep pushing until you reach your goal. If one method does not work out, then you just use another one."

Kamina often did things similarly, back in the last war. Fought with his fists and sword first before using Lagann, and if that didn't work he brought out Gurren Lagann. And only when _that_ didn't work he brought out his Noble Phantasm.

No matter how you looked at it, Rider was _holding back _in his battles. True, it would be easier to curb stomp every Servant and it would make Waver's life a lot easier, but what would be the point in doing that? It would go against Team Dai-Gurren's motto to just mercilessly beat one's opponents to submission.

…Or something like that.

_"Gah, I guess I really don't get it…"_ Waver complained in his head. But then again, his previous thoughts on what it meant did kind of clear up some things. If he had just upped his game up against Rin when it looked like his previous tactics were not working, he could have beaten her. Not kill, but at least stop her from getting up. _"Plus, who's to say that she wasn't aiming to kill me?"_ It was not wise to write someone off as 'just a kid', _especially _when they were a Magus.

"Husband, please relax." Christina spoke up, snapping Waver out of his thoughts. "You'll ache even more if you don't."

"Sorry." Waver apologized, relaxing the muscles he had unconsciously tightened. Ever since his confrontation with her, Christina had become even more quiet and reserved than he had seen ever before. While that was good in a sense, it also made her show her worry for him more. Not that he didn't appreciate it; after all she was the one who knew more healing magic than he did.

In the past few days, Waver saw that Ayako was back to normal. There was no more perverted hero-worship within her eyes whenever she looked at him. Now it was just simple gratitude, which is what anybody should feel like towards the person who saved them. It was comforting to know that his wife learned her lesson, even if it hurt her for him to drill it into her head.

"Still, we cannot give up now." Rider said as a grin formed on his face. "The other Servants will be coming out of the woodwork soon. I can feel it."

"Yeah, things have been pretty quiet before. Other than Caster, no other Servants have died." Waver confirmed, his eyes narrowing in wonder. "The other Masters will be upping their game soon. We need to eliminate Berserker soon."

"How soon?" Rider asked curiously. "I mean, we have that Emiya kid's support."

That was true, while Rider could potentially take down Berserker on his own, the Servant's regeneration might prove troublesome. Which is where Saber would come in. She would make sure the Servant stayed dead afterwards, using that Noble Phantasm of hers to make sure that there was nothing left to grow back.

"Tomorrow. We'll finish this tomorrow." Waver said with finality, nodding in agreement to himself. "Berserker's Master would not expect us to attack in the afternoon, and if we wrap things up quickly we can leave before civilians get suspicious."

"Sounds like a plan." Rider agreed, a small amount of excitement in his voice. "Let's get ready to kick some ass!"

Waver felt his own grin growing on his face. He was feeling better already because of his Servant's enthusiasm.

"Please do not do anything drastic…" Christina said softly, making Waver turn his attention to her. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Please…" Waver began before saying the words that echoed through his mind for ten years. "Just who the hell do you think I am?"

* * *

**_Elsewhere (Shinji's Apartment):_**

Shinji coughed out the last of the bile that was in his throat into the toilet, spitting out whatever remained in his mouth while his throat burned from the acidic taste. Unconsciously, he pulled the lever and flushed the toilet, shambling to the sink before turning on the faucet.

He had a bad dream again. Well not 'bad' and more like downright disturbing. He had dreamed that he was back on _that_ beach again. All alone once more with Asuka's skeleton and Rei's still rotting head for company. He looked in the sea of LCL and saw all the faces of those he had met throughout his life. Glaring, accusing him of doing _nothing_ to save them from a living hell. That he condemned them from an eternal dream that provided no opportunity to awaken.

And the worst part of it was?

They were right.

That thought echoed through Shinji's mind as he turned on the faucet and scooped up water into his mouth before spitting it out. The option was there, but there was no way to tell that to the souls trapped in the sea of LCL. He could have asked Rei in those final moments they were together to inform them, but no. He just accepted the fate of him and everyone else, stayed on that damn beach alone with Asuka during her final years, never growing older.

"It is their will Shinji." The cold voice of his father echoed through his mind, making Shinji look into the mirror and see the face of his father Gendo. "Humans will always prefer fantasy over reality. They crawl to the delusion simply because it is easier to stomach. We are weak, pathetic creatures."

Shinji blinked, making Gendo's face disappear before seeing the teenager that had been haunting his dreams, grinning a bloodthirsty smile. **"It is because of that that we must hate them. They focus all their hatred on an object in order to feel better, and in the next moment pretend that their troubles never existed in the first place. They spit on sacrifices, living out their blissfully ignorant existences. Instrumentality was simply the ultimate example of humanity's weakness. It is within our righ-."**

"SHUT UP!" Shinji shouted as he slammed his right fist into the mirror, breaking the glass and making several shards fall into the sink and floor. Slowly, he drew his fist back and saw cuts weeping blood. "Damn it…"

He knew only the basics of treating wounds. He could do nothing more than disinfect the cuts and bandage the thing up. He would clean the glass later, or maybe he would not. Lord knows that his apartment wasn't getting any visitors anytime soon…

"Shinji! It's me! Open up!" Taiga's voice rang out, followed by several loud knocks on the door. "We need to talk!"

_"Just ignore her…" _Shinji thought to himself as he unconsciously walked to the door, staring at it with near-dead eyes. _"She'll leave eventually. She'll get impatient with you and just walk away. They all do that…"_

"Shinji, if you do not open this door I _will _break it down!" Taiga continued to shout, followed by even more pounding on the door. "Don't think I won't! I know you're in there! Now open up!"

Was it wise to allow her to see him in such a state? Shinji's left hand froze as it reached for the doorknob. He probably had bags under his eyes, his room was a mess, and the bathroom was still full of glass. Not to mention that she would question about his injury. _"She would not understand. She's too strong to understand… just like Asuka was…"_

But there was no guarantee that Taiga would leave if he just continued to ignore her like this. If there was one thing Fujimura Taiga was, it was stubborn as hell. She would continue demanding for his presence until he finally caved in. He could not simply jump out the window… well he could, but he'd rather avoid his picture ending up in the tabloids due to a night person snapping a pick with their cellphone.

_"Why do I even care about that?"_ It would not hurt him to let Taiga in. He would let her in, say hi, tell her everything was all right, and then shove her out the door. With that in mind, Shinji grasped the doorknob and opened it.

Taiga was in her usual outfit, but that worried look in her eyes was so out of place. It was like something against the natural laws. Taiga was _never_ sad or worried. She was either hungry, excited, or just a tad judgmental. Otherwise, she was oblivious to every other emotion on the spectrum. "Shinji-kun…"

"Hey." Shinji awkwardly greeted her, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Wanna come in?"

"You bet I do!" Taiga declared as she barged into the room, storming past Shinji and sitting on the couch in the living room while crossing her arms. Shinji closed the door and quietly walked over before sitting down beside her. "You haven't come out of here in days, you never answer the phone, and George-san called saying that you haven't been going to work for almost a week! Your making everyone worried sick!"

"I'm sorry…" Shinji could not help but mumble, wincing at the pathetic apology. He sounded like a god damn fourteen year old again…

"Sorry is not going to cut it!" Taiga declared while glaring at him. "You're going to…" She then stopped the rest of her demand from leaving her mouth as she blinked in surprise. "Shinji, when did you shave?"

"I shaved?" Shinji asked, more to himself as his right hand reached up and the fingers touched his chin. There was no more facial hair. His goatee that he had been growing since he was seventeen years old was gone. _"What? I-I don't remember shaving! What's going on!?"_

"W-what happened to your hand?" Taiga asked nervously, noticing the bandaged appendage for the first time.

"I-I just cut myself by accident…" Shinji mumbled to himself, his voice growing weak as Taiga continued to stare at him. She could tell he was lying. Shinji had always been a bad liar ever since they were kids. His voice would grow weak and he would look away whenever he was hiding something.

Just like he was doing right now.

"Shinji… what's going on?" Taiga asked, her hands shaking in anxiousness. She had _never_ seen Shinji like this. That look in his eyes when she commented about his clean-shaven face basically screamed that he had no idea how it happened. And those bags under his eyes showed that he hadn't been sleeping well for several days. "Is everything okay?"

"I-I…" Shinji stuttered out before placing his face into his hands. "Oh god Taiga, I don't even know anymore… I think I'm losing my mind…" He felt tears well up in his eyes as he continued. "I keep getting nightmares about father, mother, Kaworu, Asuka, Rei, Misato, and everyone blaming me for it… I can't sleep anymore. I can't eat. Every time I wake up, I'm in a puddle of cold sweat! I-I see things sometimes… I see that tattooed guy saying that we're the same… that we're not so different…"

Taiga barely understood just what the hell Shinji was talking about, but it definitely sounded like something was seriously wrong with the man _mentally._ "Shinji… who's Kaworu? You never mentioned any of these names before!"

"I failed them… I failed them all! They're all dead! Dead, dead, DEAD because of me!" Shinji shouted, his hands clenching onto his hair and almost tearing it out. "Everything is my fault! If I run away I fail them and if I don't people die anyways! I'm nothing but a goddamn failure! Asuka was right! SHE WAS RIGHT!"

"S-Shinji! Please calm down!" Taiga shouted franticly, her eyes scanning for the phone. She needed to call someone. She did not know what to _do_! Shinji had gone way past the line of nervous breakdown and was starting to scare her.

Next thing Taiga knew, Shinji's lips were on hers.

It was not a loving kiss, nor a chaste one.

It was one filled with desperation, loneliness, and self-loathing.

Shinji's tongue tried to go through her lips, but Taiga pushed him back. "S-Shinji stop! You're scaring me!"

His eyes were frantic, as if not realizing what was going on. Shinji instead forced her down on the couch and kissed her again to silence her protests. He didn't want her to leave. He _needed_ her, now more than ever.

**_"Disgusting."_**

Shinji paused as he heard Asuka's voice echo out the only word she spoke ever since he discovered her on that beach. She saw his mind, his deepest thoughts and desires, and summed everything up into that one word.

Even though his mind froze, his body acted out on its own. And Shinji could only think one thing.

_"I feel sick…"_

* * *

**_Next Morning (Emiya Residence):_**

"Hah!" Shirou swung the bokken down with both hands, the wooden sword colliding with the one in Saber's hand who blocked it effortlessly. With barely any effort, Saber pushed Shirou back, making him stumble several feet before stopping.

"You apply too much force into your blows Shirou. That makes it too difficult to disengage from your opponent." Saber chided to her Master, Assassin and Tsubaki sitting and watching on the side of the dojo. "It would have been very easy for me to kill you when I pushed you away."

"Well don't be too hard on him Saber…" Tsubaki spoke up, a small nervous smile spreading across her face. "I mean, Shirou does seem better at using two swords instead of one."

"Yes, but using both hands on the blade increases the force. Should he face a physically stronger opponent, he will need to use this in order to win." Saber countered, glancing at Assassin. "And your thoughts Assassin?"

"He _really_ needs to work on his speed." Assassin spoke with a really out of place critical expression on his face. "I mean, he's gotten better, but he's still nowhere near my league."

"It's only been a day Black*Star. Shirou needs more time than that to really improve." Tsubaki reminded the Servant, making Shirou wince due to the fact it was true.

"Guess your right Tsubaki. He needs a lot more training if he's going to be half as big as a guy like me." Assassin then let out his usual laugh, causing Tsubaki to sigh and Saber to close her eyes.

_"It's good that they're getting along I guess."_ Shirou thought to himself as he relaxed his muscles. He had never really noticed it, but Saber along with Assassin and Tsubaki had a pretty good dynamic. There was no type of nervousness or wariness between them… _"But is now really the time to think about it? I need to train. I need to work on my speed and skills…"_

"Let's take a ten minute break." Saber declared, setting down the bokken while Shirou dropped his.

_"Gah, my limbs feel like wet noodles…"_ Shirou complained mentally while Tsubaki stood up and began walking to the door, most likely to get refreshments. His body was sore from all the training he had been subjected to. Usually, he exercised simply to keep in shape. But actually conditioning his body was another matter entirely.

While training with Saber was hard, training with Assassin was _insane_. The Servant had him do things like pushups with one arm holding his entire body in the air, sit-ups while hanging from the roof, and worst of all Assassin had Shirou run while Tsubaki threw shuriken at him (But at least she apologized about it afterwards.).

"Here's the water!" Tsubaki spoke as she opened the door, revealing her holding a tray with a water jug that had several lemon slices in it and four cups. She smiled as she walked in and set it down. "Drink as much as you want!"

Shirou didn't need to be told twice. Before he even realized he was moving, Shirou was already sitting in front of the tray and gulping down a glass of water. Once the glass was empty, he instantly refilled it and drank again.

Rinse and repeat.

"Better not drink too much, or you're going to throw it up once I have my turn at you!" Assassin laughed out as he sipped his glass.

"He is right Shirou. You must pace yourself when you know that you'll be straining your body soon." Saber agreed, also taking a sip of her glass. It was pretty amazing, she did not even have a speck of sweat on her body.

The mental image of her clothes being soaked in sweat and see-through made Shirou a bit embarrassed.

It was strange. He had known Saber for several weeks and it was only now that he felt attracted to her. Really, _really_ attracted to her. Maybe it was that aura of royalty that surrounded her? Or perhaps it was because she continued to protect him no matter what was facing her?

But the thing that really confused him was the fact that he felt the similarly about Sakura and Luvia.

_"Liking three girls… this is like something from a bad romantic comedy…." _Shirou thought dryly to himself. He had known Sakura for years. She was caring, kind, attractive, and her smiling always made him happy. When she was kidnapped, he could do nothing but think of saving her. It took Saber and the others in order to convince him _not_ to charge ahead to save her, damn the potential dangers.

Then there was Luvia. Sure, she acted haughty but there was a caring person beneath that façade. She was always worried about his safety, and did everything she could to aid him. She helped him stop from making bad decisions, and was not afraid to use her wealth to help others. Plus, there was _that night_….

_"Okay, head out of the gutter Emiya."_ Shirou mentally slapped himself in order to stop the memories of 'the night' from consuming all his thoughts. _"Besides, you have other things to worry about…"_

Maiya had still not recovered from her coma. And while Sola-Ui said that she was in good hands, it did not stop the fact that he was partially responsible for her condition. If he had not left the house or just confronted that priest first, she would not have gotten hurt.

Having one's adopted mother harmed because of one's mistakes wasn't acceptable, no matter how you put it.

Like Sakura, he _failed_ her. Whoever heard of a hero of justice that failed to protect the innocent? They were willing to lay down their lives to save someone, and that's what he always aspired to be.

"Alright! Break's over!" Assassin yelled, jumping onto his feet while Tsubaki got up calmly. "Okay, you ready for another round with the biggest star around?"

"Yeah." Shirou confirmed with a nod, his previous exhaustion now gone from his mind as he got onto his feet. "Let's do this!"

He would not fail his father again. He _would_ become a hero of justice.

No matter what.

* * *

**_Elsewhere (Fuyuki Shopping Mall):_**

"Now try this on!" Luvia shouted as she shoved a pale blue bundle into Lancer's arms, delight sparkling in her eyes as she gave the Servant a critical eye. "I'm sure that you'll look extravagant in it."

"This is unnecessary Master." Lancer said again for what was probably the seventh time since they arrived to the clothing store, her back to the changing room Luvia dragged her too. Sakura could not help but feel pity for the young girl. For one to not know the joys that came from a shopping spree was appalling (What? Even Sakura liked to splurge once in a while.). "I have clothes that are suitable for all functions within…"

"You can _never _have too many clothes Lancer!" Luvia declared, waving her finger as if she were correcting a child's mistake. "Ladies such as us must always look fashionable. In today's society, women always look to stand out the most in a crowd. That way, people may notice them and men can treat them to whatever it is they desire. It's a fundamental rule."

_"Fundamental rule of what?"_ Sakura thought, raising a slight eyebrow to Luvia's reasoning. True, she bought clothes but it was mostly to make herself feel pretty (And if her Sempai noticed, it was simply an added bonus). However, to say that one must _always _stand out in a crowd was just a bit appalling.

Sakura did not like crowds. They made her feel uncomfortable.

"…If it's what you wish Master." Lancer spoke in the same monotone voice as usual before stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. Once that happened, Luvia sighed. She had tried to bring the girl out of her shell throughout the trip, but she never spoke more than what was required. While being straight and to the point was ideal for serious situations, doing it in a relaxed environment was just…

_"No, remember that this is just what she was taught throughout her life."_ Luvia reminded herself, feeling a pang of guilt towards her previous impatience. Lancer never saw the point in getting new clothes because she never _needed_ to care. She was never ordered to. It was just go to school, do their activities, and pilot the Evangelion before going to sleep. There was no free time until Shinji came, and even then he never told her to get new clothes. Hell, he probably never had the guts to do it. Plus, her former room was even worse than her fashion sense.

It must have been strange to see the boy she liked now a full-grown man with another woman. Luvia could not imagine what she felt, or if she understood what she felt. All of Lancer's life revolved around that… _thing_… and fulfilling a goal that would even make the most heretical of Magi throw up. She never got an opportunity to truly _enjoy_ life like a real girl should. _"She never even used makeup, yet her skin is so beautiful…"_

As soon as Luvia thought that, the door to the changing room opened to reveal lancer in the sundress. The dress reached Lancer's knees, but it revealed the Servant's exotic pale skin in ways that her school uniform did not. The dress was a bit tight on the dress area, but it did well to emphasize on the girl's bust without revealing parts of it. The dress was sleeveless, showing off her shoulders and arms.

Luvia ran a critical eye over the whole thing before smiling. "This is very fitting for you Lancer!"

"Yes, it makes you look very…" Sakura searched for the right word, not wanting to sound too weird or rude. "Nice!"

A light blush filled Lancer's cheeks. She had never been complimented like this before. Well, not by anyone but Pilot Ikari (In a sense). For someone like her Master or Matou-san to do so was… nice. _"I still do not understand the functionality for this clothing, but if Master wants me to have it…"_ "It is acceptable…"

_"Well, that is as close to 'I want it' as I'll get with her…"_ Luvia thought with a grin before saying, "Alright then, let us see what else this establishment has! We should let you try a dress like mine, or maybe one of those 'gothic lolita' outfits that are so popular…"

"But Master…" Lancer tried to protest, but saw the futility as Luvia was in her own little world. Without another word, Lancer quietly slipped back into the changing room and shut the door.

Sakura could not help but giggle at the action. Despite everything, Lancer was in a way acting like an ordinary teenager.

* * *

**_Several Hours Later:  
_**

The three women walked side by side down the sidewalk back towards the Emiya residence, Luvia looking rather pleased with herself while Lancer kept her usual monotone expression and Sakura followed behind them with a small troubled frown on her face. It took some (Okay, a lot) of time, but Luvia was able to 'convince' Lancer to get fifteen different outfits ranging from nightwear to winter coats, and that was not including the numerous shoes that matched the outfits.

Luvia herself got several of the new lines of perfume and some new shoes. No sense to splurge on herself too much today. The whole point of this outing was to open Lancer's horizons, which she did.

Sakura… didn't get anything other than a new swimsuit. A white one-piece for summer that would hopefully grab Shirou's attention.

Shirou was also the cause of her current mood.

Despite the good time she had with Luvia and Lancer, Sakura could not help but recall how close Shirou and Luvia have been getting as of late. It was strange. Before, when Luvia first moved in, they were acquaintances at best. Sure, Sakura could see that Luvia liked Shirou but the boy never picked up the hints (Much like he never picked up Sakura's, unfortunately.) Even when the alliance started, Shirou seemed to only consider Luvia as a friend at best. But after she returned from Avenger's captivity, she saw the glances they spared one another. The small looks and the slight blush in Shirou's cheeks whenever they thought that they were alone. _"Maybe I'm just imagining it. But still…"_

"Is something the matter, Matou?" Luvia asked, looking back at Sakura with a small frown. Ever since Sebastian took their bags and drove off (Due to Luvia insisting that they walk instead to bond with Lancer and nothing more) Sakura had stayed quiet. Now normally this would not have bothered Luvia. But something… _unnerved_ her about this silence. Was it simply paranoia?

"…What have you and Sempai been doing?" Sakura decided to just ask the question rather than hold it in. It was easier this way, for they were alone with only Lancer keeping company.

"Huh?" Luvia was a bit surprised about the bluntness of the question. "What are you talking about?"

"I've seen the way Sempai has been looking at you recently, and you with Sempai." Sakura elaborated, looking at Luvia with accusatory eyes. "Why is that happening?"

Lancer honestly did not like this questioning. From the way her Master stiffened, it seemed like Matou was referring to the coupling Emiya, her Master, and Saber had for the Prana Exchange Ritual. But since her Master did not seem to be in mortal danger, Lancer kept her mouth shut. _"But if Matou-san were to put Master in physical danger…"_

"W-Well… It's obvious isn't it?" Luvia stuttered out, almost sweating from the eyes that seemed to be boring into the back of her head. "It took some time, but it was only natural for Shirou to be drawn to me Matou."

While that was partially true, Luvia just couldn't bring herself to say the _whole_ truth. Half of it was out of embarrassment. The other half was out of… pity? _"Why should I feel pity? I should be glad! I beat Matou in getting to Shirou first!"_

But for some reason, thinking that did not get the sinking feeling in Luvia's gut to go away.

_"How dare she…"_ Sakura thought, her hands tightening into fists for only a brief second before opening. _"No, she's always been like this. Arrogant, haughty… it's nothing new."_ Luvia was probably only saying this to rile her up, much like she regularly did with Rin. Mixing politeness with thinly veiled insults. It was a way to get people riled up without coming off as the one at fault. _"She's hiding it… she's hiding the reason…"_

"Shirou has been pushing himself a bit too much, don't you agree?" Luvia asked, deciding to change the subject before it uncovered… certain things.

Sakura nodded in agreement and said, "Yes." It was true, Shirou was pushing himself _even harder,_as unbelievable as it was. Now he was training with Saber, Assassin, and Tsubaki in his skills. Tsubaki had told her that he was being trained in swordplay and physical conditioning. Both of which apparently took their toll on Shirou, since he passed out while watching TV immediately after dinner. But that brought up another troubling thing that she noticed when she returned. "Saber-san seems to be fine."

"Of course she is. Why wouldn't she be?" Luvia asked, making Sakura shake her head.

"That's not what I meant." Sakura interjected, looking at Luvia once more with analytical eyes. "Saber seems to be acting normally, when she should be mostly drained of Prana due to using her Noble Phantasm. Sempai doesn't have enough prana to support her, so I'm just surprised how quickly she recovered after using so much."

"The ritual did not have any complications, so…" Luvia stopped herself, her eyes growing wide and her mouth snapping shut as she stopped walking altogether. _"Why did I say that!? Stupid! Stupid!"_ Slowly, Luvia turned around and saw that Sakura stopped as well, her eyes hidden beneath the shadows of her bangs. "Matou…?"

"What ritual… what ritual did you do?" Sakura asked slowly, her every word oozing with danger. Luvia's voice died in her throat, stopping her from answering her.

Steeling herself, Luvia answered. "It was necessary. Saber's Prana levels were low. She would have disappeared if nothing were to have been done. What should I have done? Just let Shirou's Servant die?"

"Why did you use that way? There was another way…" Sakura continued, lifting her head to show that she was glaring at Luvia. But Luvia could see the hate from within her eyes. The hate, the hurt, the betrayal, the despair and anguish… it was enough raw emotion to make Luvia feel like she had been physically slapped. "You know there was another way! You could have tried to share the contract with Sempai, or just used your _blood_ instead of doing… doing _that_!"

Luvia blinked in surprise at that statement. Despite Sakura being from one of the three main families, she never displayed much knowledge in the Magi arts. So for her to shout out those two _other_ options was rather shocking.

Yes, if two Magi were consenting it would be possible to share a Servant's Contract. It would require much concentration and would be difficult, since they were to delve into one another's mind, but it was possible. And the sharing of Prana was not limited to just sexual fluids: blood was also a viable medium for Prana. Sex was simply the easiest and less painful method.

"I-I…" Luvia began to stutter out, only for Sakura to continue once more.

"You knew that, but you still had sex with Sempai for the sake of the 'ritual'." The way Sakura spat out that sentence in an utterly calm voice was very unnerving. "How could you? How could you _do_ that just to get closer to Sempai?"

Now, it was Luvia's turn to glare at Sakura. "Matou, you are right. I _did_ use the ritual as an excuse. But I love Shirou…"

"You only knew him for less than a _year_. I've known him longer than you ever have. I've been there for him at his house while you were out trying to outdo Tohsaka-sempai in everything." Sakura spat out, glaring at Luvia even harder. "How can you say you love him? What makes you think you even have the _right_?"

"Maybe you have known him longer, but_ I'm_ the one who acted on my feelings!" Luvia shouted back, glancing at Lancer who stood off to the side observing the argument with no emotion showing on her face. At least she was not attacking. Matou _needed_ to hear this. "You've had _years_ to tell Shirou your feelings. You know how blind he is to these things. Actions speak louder than words. So when I saw an opportunity, I acted. I didn't just stand to the side and smiled to show support! I made sure that Shirou knew I cared for him, even if the way it was done was unorthodox! And if you've known that I've liked him, you should have known that you couldn't keep him close to you forever Matou!"

It hurt, it really did. To tell someone else who loved Shirou for so long the 'what ifs' and what they could have done to avoid this. It wasn't fair, not to her or Sakura. But Luvia wasn't going to stop pursuing Shirou just because Sakura loved him as well.

Luvia was not that unselfish.

Sakura could not believe what she was hearing. Luvia was saying that it was her fault that Shirou was slipping past her fingers. Her joy… the thing Kariya-ojisan would bring her happiness in her life… was being lost to _her_!? _"No, NO! I WON'T LET IT!" _"You can't… I won't let yo-!"

Before she could finish, the tip of Lancer's spear was right before her forehead. Sometime while she was speaking, Lancer appeared right in front of Luvia and got her spear before Sakura could even register that the thing had even happened. "You will not harm my Master." Lancer spoke with finality in her tone.

It was not a request.

"Stop Lancer. That's enough." Luvia ordered, making the spear disappear from view and the Servant moved to the side. Sakura now saw Luvia's eyes, and they were filled with a mizture of sadness and conviction. "You are right, I ignored your feelings for Shirou, but he's not yours to keep. He's not even _mine_, despite what I've done." Luvia sighed, as if this were a weight she was getting off her chest. "We are both selfish. We both want him for ourselves. I'm sure that even Saber wants him, and we both know why." Luvia let out a chuckle, shocking Sakura. As if another person after Shirou's heart was perfectly understandable. "But we can only hope to do everything we can to make him notice us the same way we notice him. It is his decision who he wishes to love, and his alone. I cannot change that and neither can you."

Now Sakura just felt guilty. She loved Shirou with all her heart, that would not change. She wanted to marry him, to make love to him, to start a family with him and grow old together. But the sad fact was that she could not control him. If he were to choose Luvia over her, then that was his decision. But her feelings would not change just because of that, and she should feel happy anyways because he would be happy. _"I… really am pathetic aren't I?"_ There was no venom in that thought, but just bitter humor. With that, she looked at Luvia and said, "This changes nothing. I won't let you get Sempai."

Luvia just smirked, she didn't know how but she could tell that her words got through to Matou. "I know, and neither will I Matou."

With that, the two continued to walk with Lancer following behind them in silence for the rest of the trip.

* * *

**_Elsewhere (Unknown Location):_**

"So anyway, let me tell you about this time I was in England." Wade mentioned as he reclined in the passenger's seat of the armored truck that Avenger was currently driving. It was one of those trucks you usually saw parked out in front of a business in order to transport their money to a safe location. However on the side spray-painted in red was the simple message 'REMEMBER BARTHOLOMEW JACKSON'. "Turns out John Travolta was right! They _do_ call a quarter-pounder with cheese a royal with cheese. So when I had one, I felt like I was royalty. But the thing that shattered _that_ was the fact that the Queen of England wasn't there."

Avenger could not help but groan as Wade continued to rant about inane things. Despite being injured, Kirei was recovering at a disturbing rate. He could now limp around with a cane and talk without any problems, allowing him to give them a new assignment. And although he wanted to do nothing more than kill the mad priest then and there, Kirei was his only chance at getting the Holy Grail. "Shut up."

"Come on buddy, how long have we known each other?" Wade questioned with a grin while fishing out a bag of Doritos from the truck floor, opening them and popping a chip in his mouth. "You should know, my mouth _never_ closes! Well, unless some corporate execs decide to make it so. The bastards…"

"I'm willing to test that theory right now." Avenger mumbled as he drove through the woods, making sure to avoid any trees or other objects that might impede their progress. Not only did he hate working for Kirei, he hated to work with this nut. Wade had to be the biggest pain in the ass Avenger had the displeasure of ever working with. He was like that dog that kept barking at you despite playing with it for an hour a couple of minutes ago.

"Please, you know you love me." Wade snorted out as he finished the chips and threw the empty bag back onto the floor. "I mean, who _doesn't _love me except people who find Nolan North's voice annoying? But then again, you are the straight man in this partnership. So I guess that counts for something." Wade then sighed before digging into his side pocket. "Oh well, time to get ready for work."

Avenger glanced at the object in Wade's hand. It looked like a red mask, like the one he wore in the comics. Wade then pulled the mask over his head and adjusted it so it was in place.

The mask was red yes, but the design was different. Instead of the two big Spider-Man like blots of black surrounding the white eye pieces, it was transformed into a V-like design that covered Wade's mouth, nose, and chin. The black even extended to cover Wade's ears and the back of his head.

As surprising as it was, there was more black than red on Wade's mask.

"Why put on the mask?" Avenger could not help himself from asking. "You never put it on before."

"Brand recognition man." Wade answered, and Avenger could see a smirk form underneath the cloth of the mask. "Even if it's that douche Ultimate me's mask, brand recognition is important for a job like this."

Avenger said nothing as he gazed at their intended destination, not even a hundred feet away from their current location.

The Einzbern Mansion.

"REMEMBER THE ALAMO!" Wade cheered out, sticking his head out the window and laughing like a madman.

Avenger could not afford to feel guilty about this.

He killed far too many to feel guilt now.

One more body won't make a damn difference.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**Omake- It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!**

A small sign hung from the doors of the dojo, reading 'out to lunch' on them. Neither the enthusiastic teacher or her student were in the room, leaving the place silent. Suddenly, the door opened to reveal a man dressed in an immaculate white suit, tie, shoes, and a black dress shirt and hankerchief. His eyes and nose were hidded from view by a tilted white fedora hat, only revealing that the man had black hair in the back of his head.

The man closed the door silently and walked into the center of the dojo before saying, "Greetings, and welcome to the Taiga Dojo." A small chuckle escaped his lips. "Where are my manners? I am known as The Infamous Man, a writer of many strange and wonderous stories that have inspired many, for better or for worse. I apologize for the absence of the regular two hosts, but the recent events of the latest chapter has left them in a… less than desirable mood."

"WAAAAHHH!" Loud sobbing was heard through the door, making the man bristle before deflating from his previous aristocrat-like demeanor.

"Great, well that ruined the mood." TIM muttered before shaking his head. "And I was looking so cool too… Oh well." With a shrug, he continued. "Now anyways, for you guys a bit shocked from the mood whiplash concerning Shinji's scene, rest assured that it has a purpose. It _will_ be addressed in the next chap. This was simply the latest cementation of Shinji's spiral back into EoE madness, and if you saw _that_ movie then you know the hints I laid down. I'm probably going to get flamed about this in Spacebattles, but fuck those guys."

Sighing, TIM crossed his arms as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot. "Now to further explain, the mask Wade is using is the Ultimate Deadpool's mask who, despite being an unlikable racist asshole with no hint of his 616 self, had a cooler mask and costume. Thus, Wade's using his mask as brand recognition. Now thank you all for being patient: More action and some heartbreaking scenes will be presented in the next chap. But seriously, drama is important to provide context for madness, so do not drop the story because not enough people are dying or fighting yet."

He then lifted his left sleeve, looking at a silver Rolex watch before saying, "Anyway, stay tuned for the next chap 'Q Note Part II: Memento Mori'. And considering these titles have been titled Q Note, you should know that some major mind-screwage is underway."

With that, TIM's body burst into flames before disappearing, as if never being there in the first place.

* * *

**Note- Please do not hate me for before, but I just couldn't think of anything funny for the dojo. This chapter honestly depressed me, mostly because Shinji as a character is bound by tragedy. Did any of you _really_ expect him to just get a happy ending after Zero Sense! Gotta Earn Your Happy Ending Shinji my man! And it's not an easy task! Also, this chap was betaed by both Kiiam and Sir Godot, who also helped me out with planning this badboy and encouraged me to stick with the Shinji scene despite my own doubts. Thanks guys. **

**So anyway…**

**DEADPOOL THE GAME IS COMING ON THE TWENTY-FIFTH!**

**I'm so pumped. I love Deadpool as a character, from when he was out killing Skrulls in a baseball mascot costume to him killing our zombified presidents (Yes, this is actually happening in the comics). From his utterly batshit wackiness to the hidden tragic soul underneath the mask and insanity. While I'll wait for the reviews to trickle in, be sure that I WILL buy it!**

**Deadpool says he'll kill me with a spoon if I don't. **

**Criticize, but keep things constructive. When you do criticize constructively, you show me new ways to improve. And any support you give motivates me to work the best as I can to making this story enjoyable for all.**

**Also, you know the drill. Look at the Zero Sense TV Tropes page, add, blah, blah, blah…**

**Now then…**

**Would you kindly leave a review?**


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